Birds to See in Iceland in February
68 bird species on our list for Iceland are recorded regularly in February
Of these, the most often recorded are Common Raven, Mallard, Eider, European Herring Gull and Common Redpoll. New this month: Kittiwake and Surf Scoter.
On the move in February
GBIF · FebAt their peak
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 68 birds in February
68 birds
Common RavenCorvus coraxWinter visitorCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 7.80% in Feb
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 6.62% in Feb
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 5.40% in Feb
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 4.68% in Feb
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaWinter visitorCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 4.61% in Feb
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 4.46% in Feb
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorResidentCommon52–58 cmRecorded all year · 4.19% in Feb
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisWinter visitorCommon15–18 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 3.96% in Feb
BlackbirdTurdus merulaWinter visitorCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 3.92% in Feb
Iceland GullLarus glaucoidesWinter visitorCommon52–60 cmRecorded all year · 3.74% in Feb
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorCommon37–60 cmRecorded all year · 3.55% in Feb
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboWinter visitorCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 3.33% in Feb
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusResidentCommon62–68 cmRecorded all year · 3.11% in Feb
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 2.75% in Feb
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeResidentCommon42–51 cmRecorded all year · 2.75% in Feb
FulmarFulmarus glacialisResidentCommon45–50 cmRecorded all year · 2.51% in Feb
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusResidentCommon140–165 cmRecorded all year · 2.44% in Feb
FieldfareTurdus pilarisWinter visitorCommon22–27 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 2.38% in Feb
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.32% in Feb
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 2.11% in Feb
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 2.10% in Feb
RedwingTurdus iliacusResidentCommon20–24 cmRecorded all year · 1.97% in Feb
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 1.26% in Feb
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 1.15% in Feb
Eurasian TealAnas creccaResidentCommon34–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.96% in Feb
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaResidentCommon20–22 cmRecorded all year · 0.95% in Feb
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusSummer visitorCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 0.89% in Feb
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.86% in Feb
Common LoonGavia immerResidentCommon66–91 cmRecorded all year · 0.73% in Feb
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.72% in Feb
Bohemian WaxwingBombycilla garrulusWinter visitorCommon19–23 cmRegularly Oct–Feb · 0.62% in Feb
RedshankTringa totanusSummer visitorCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.58% in Feb
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 0.56% in Feb
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.52% in Feb
MerlinFalco columbariusWinter visitorCommon24–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.48% in Feb
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataResidentCommon53–69 cmRecorded all year · 0.46% in Feb
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaSummer visitorCommon37–41 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.45% in Feb
Grey HeronArdea cinereaWinter visitorUncommon90–98 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.40% in Feb
Rock PtarmiganLagopus mutaResidentCommon34–36 cmRecorded all year · 0.39% in Feb
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesWinter visitorCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 0.38% in Feb
GoldcrestRegulus regulusWinter visitorCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 0.33% in Feb
RazorbillAlca tordaResidentCommon38–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.26% in Feb
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRegularly Dec–Oct · 0.24% in Feb
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorUncommon50–60 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.21% in Feb
GadwallMareca streperaResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.21% in Feb
King EiderSomateria spectabilisWinter visitorUncommon46–64 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Feb
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorUncommon40–51 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.19% in Feb
White-tailed Sea-eagleHaliaeetus albicillaResidentUncommon66–94 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Feb
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaWinter visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.18% in Feb
Northern PintailAnas acutaResidentUncommon59–76 cmRecorded all year · 0.18% in Feb
Greater ScaupAythya marilaSummer visitorCommon39–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.16% in Feb
European RobinErithacus rubeculaWinter visitorUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.15% in Feb
BramblingFringilla montifringillaPassage migrantUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.12% in Feb
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoWinter visitorUncommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Feb
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusResidentUncommon34–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Feb
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraResidentUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.11% in Feb
ChaffinchFringilla coelebsPassage migrantUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.10% in Feb
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaSummer visitorUncommon58–67 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Feb
Little AukAlle alleWinter visitorUncommon18–21 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.07% in Feb
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraSummer visitorUncommon43–54 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Feb
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.06% in Feb
Horned GrebePodiceps auritusSummer visitorCommon31–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Feb
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixWinter visitorUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.05% in Feb
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosWinter visitorUncommon20–23 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.05% in Feb
Water RailRallus aquaticusPassage migrantUncommon23–28 cmRegularly Jan–Feb · 0.05% in Feb
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataSummer visitorUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Jan–Sep · 0.05% in Feb
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataSummer visitorRare48–60 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.03% in Feb
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.03% in Feb
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