Birds to See in Iceland in December
65 bird species on our list for Iceland are recorded regularly in December
Of these, the most often recorded are Common Raven, Mallard, Common Redpoll, Blackbird and Eider. New this month: Common Snipe, Northern Gannet, Little Auk and Grey Wagtail.
On the move in December
GBIF · DecArriving
At their peak
Leaving soon
From Iceland’s bird records, 2019–2024: arriving birds are regular this month but not last; leaving birds are regular this month but not next.
Other months
All 65 birds in December
65 birds
Common RavenCorvus coraxWinter visitorCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 7.20% in Dec
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 6.17% in Dec
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaWinter visitorCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 5.64% in Dec
BlackbirdTurdus merulaWinter visitorCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 5.20% in Dec
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 4.84% in Dec
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisWinter visitorCommon15–18 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 4.76% in Dec
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 4.44% in Dec
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 4.10% in Dec
RedwingTurdus iliacusResidentCommon20–24 cmRecorded all year · 4.02% in Dec
Iceland GullLarus glaucoidesWinter visitorCommon52–60 cmRecorded all year · 3.91% in Dec
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorResidentCommon52–58 cmRecorded all year · 3.75% in Dec
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorCommon37–60 cmRecorded all year · 3.68% in Dec
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboWinter visitorCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 3.32% in Dec
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusResidentCommon62–68 cmRecorded all year · 3.10% in Dec
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 3.03% in Dec
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeResidentCommon42–51 cmRecorded all year · 2.56% in Dec
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 2.53% in Dec
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.52% in Dec
FieldfareTurdus pilarisWinter visitorCommon22–27 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 2.48% in Dec
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusResidentCommon140–165 cmRecorded all year · 1.85% in Dec
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 1.69% in Dec
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 1.12% in Dec
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 1.04% in Dec
Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulusWinter visitorCommon19–23 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.94% in Dec
Eurasian TealAnas creccaResidentCommon34–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.90% in Dec
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaResidentCommon20–22 cmRecorded all year · 0.79% in Dec
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusSummer visitorCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 0.76% in Dec
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.74% in Dec
Common LoonGavia immerResidentCommon66–91 cmRecorded all year · 0.70% in Dec
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesWinter visitorCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 0.67% in Dec
GoldcrestRegulus regulusWinter visitorCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 0.62% in Dec
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.60% in Dec
RedshankTringa totanusSummer visitorCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.56% in Dec
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 0.56% in Dec
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.56% in Dec
MerlinFalco columbariusWinter visitorCommon24–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.54% in Dec
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaWinter visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.45% in Dec
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataResidentCommon53–69 cmRecorded all year · 0.44% in Dec
Rock PtarmiganLagopus mutaResidentCommon34–36 cmRecorded all year · 0.37% in Dec
FulmarFulmarus glacialisResidentCommon45–50 cmRecorded all year · 0.32% in Dec
RazorbillAlca tordaResidentCommon38–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.31% in Dec
Grey HeronArdea cinereaWinter visitorUncommon90–98 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.30% in Dec
Little AukAlle alleWinter visitorUncommon18–21 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.29% in Dec
White-tailed Sea-eagleHaliaeetus albicillaResidentUncommon66–94 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in Dec
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorUncommon40–51 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.26% in Dec
Common SnipeGallinago gallinagoSummer visitorCommon25–27 cmRegularly Apr–Dec · 0.22% in Dec
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraResidentUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Dec
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorUncommon50–60 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.18% in Dec
King EiderSomateria spectabilisWinter visitorUncommon46–64 cmRecorded all year · 0.17% in Dec
European RobinErithacus rubeculaWinter visitorUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.12% in Dec
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.11% in Dec
Greater ScaupAythya marilaSummer visitorCommon39–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Dec
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoWinter visitorUncommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Dec
GadwallMareca streperaResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Dec
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaSummer visitorUncommon58–67 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Dec
Horned GrebePodiceps auritusSummer visitorCommon31–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Dec
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusResidentUncommon34–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Dec
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRegularly Dec–Oct · 0.07% in Dec
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.07% in Dec
Grey WagtailMotacilla cinereaPassage migrantUncommon17–20 cmRegularly Oct–Dec · 0.06% in Dec
Northern PintailAnas acutaResidentUncommon59–76 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Dec
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraSummer visitorUncommon43–54 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Dec
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosWinter visitorUncommon20–23 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.05% in Dec
Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaSummer visitorUncommon33–38 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.04% in Dec
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixWinter visitorUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.02% in Dec
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made