Birds to See in Iceland in March
78 bird species on our list for Iceland are recorded regularly in March
Of these, the most often recorded are Mallard, Common Raven, Eider, Great Black-backed Gull and European Herring Gull. New this month: Lesser Black-backed Gull, Golden Plover, Pink-footed Goose and Great Skua and 9 more.
On the move in March
GBIF · MarArriving
At 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 78 birds in March
78 birds
MallardAnas platyrhynchosResidentCommon50–65 cmRecorded all year · 6.72% in Mar
Common RavenCorvus coraxWinter visitorCommon54–67 cmRecorded all year · 6.13% in Mar
EiderSomateria mollissimaResidentCommon50–71 cmRecorded all year · 5.58% in Mar
Great Black-backed GullLarus marinusResidentCommon64–79 cmRecorded all year · 4.42% in Mar
European Herring GullLarus argentatusResidentCommon55–67 cmRecorded all year · 4.27% in Mar
BlackbirdTurdus merulaWinter visitorCommon24–25 cmRecorded all year · 3.95% in Mar
Whooper SwanCygnus cygnusResidentCommon140–165 cmRecorded all year · 3.85% in Mar
FulmarFulmarus glacialisResidentCommon45–50 cmRecorded all year · 3.57% in Mar
Common RedpollAcanthis flammeaWinter visitorCommon12–14 cmRecorded all year · 3.57% in Mar
Long-tailed DuckClangula hyemalisWinter visitorCommon37–60 cmRecorded all year · 3.37% in Mar
Red-breasted MerganserMergus serratorResidentCommon52–58 cmRecorded all year · 3.36% in Mar
Iceland GullLarus glaucoidesWinter visitorCommon52–60 cmRecorded all year · 3.23% in Mar
RedwingTurdus iliacusResidentCommon20–24 cmRecorded all year · 2.88% in Mar
Eurasian OystercatcherHaematopus ostralegusSummer visitorCommon40–45 cmRecorded all year · 2.83% in Mar
Eurasian WigeonMareca penelopeResidentCommon42–51 cmRecorded all year · 2.72% in Mar
Greylag GooseAnser anserResidentCommon75–90 cmRecorded all year · 2.70% in Mar
Black-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusResidentCommon38–44 cmRecorded all year · 2.67% in Mar
Glaucous GullLarus hyperboreusResidentCommon62–68 cmRecorded all year · 2.62% in Mar
Great CormorantPhalacrocorax carboWinter visitorCommon80–100 cmRecorded all year · 2.46% in Mar
Common StarlingSturnus vulgarisResidentCommon21–23 cmRecorded all year · 2.19% in Mar
Snow BuntingPlectrophenax nivalisWinter visitorCommon15–18 cmRegularly Oct–Aug · 2.00% in Mar
FieldfareTurdus pilarisWinter visitorCommon22–27 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 1.72% in Mar
Black GuillemotCepphus grylleResidentCommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 1.71% in Mar
KittiwakeRissa tridactylaSummer visitorCommon37–41 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 1.24% in Mar
Common MerganserMergus merganserWinter visitorCommon58–68 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 1.21% in Mar
Purple SandpiperCalidris maritimaResidentCommon20–22 cmRecorded all year · 1.13% in Mar
Eurasian TealAnas creccaResidentCommon34–38 cmRecorded all year · 1.09% in Mar
Rock DoveColumba liviaResidentCommon31–34 cmRecorded all year · 0.96% in Mar
Tufted DuckAythya fuligulaResidentCommon40–47 cmRecorded all year · 0.91% in Mar
Lesser Black-backed GullLarus fuscusSummer visitorCommon52–64 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.91% in Mar
RedshankTringa totanusSummer visitorCommon27–29 cmRecorded all year · 0.74% in Mar
European ShagGulosus aristotelisResidentCommon65–80 cmRecorded all year · 0.70% in Mar
Common GullLarus canusResidentCommon40–46 cmRecorded all year · 0.60% in Mar
Ruddy TurnstoneArenaria interpresResidentCommon21–24 cmRecorded all year · 0.59% in Mar
Red-throated LoonGavia stellataResidentCommon53–69 cmRecorded all year · 0.53% in Mar
Rock PtarmiganLagopus mutaResidentCommon34–36 cmRecorded all year · 0.52% in Mar
Common LoonGavia immerResidentCommon66–91 cmRecorded all year · 0.47% in Mar
MerlinFalco columbariusWinter visitorCommon24–33 cmRecorded all year · 0.45% in Mar
Common ShelduckTadorna tadornaSummer visitorUncommon58–67 cmRecorded all year · 0.43% in Mar
GoldcrestRegulus regulusWinter visitorCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 0.43% in Mar
Grey HeronArdea cinereaWinter visitorUncommon90–98 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.40% in Mar
Northern GannetMorus bassanusSummer visitorCommon87–100 cmRegularly Dec–Oct · 0.39% in Mar
GadwallMareca streperaResidentCommon46–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.39% in Mar
Pink-footed GooseAnser brachyrhynchusSummer visitorCommon60–75 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.32% in Mar
Eurasian WrenTroglodytes troglodytesWinter visitorCommon9–10 cmRecorded all year · 0.28% in Mar
King EiderSomateria spectabilisWinter visitorUncommon46–64 cmRecorded all year · 0.27% in Mar
Northern PintailAnas acutaResidentUncommon59–76 cmRecorded all year · 0.27% in Mar
CurlewNumenius arquataWinter visitorUncommon50–60 cmRegularly Aug–Apr · 0.26% in Mar
Golden PloverPluvialis apricariaSummer visitorCommon26–29 cmRegularly Mar–Nov · 0.20% in Mar
White-tailed Sea-eagleHaliaeetus albicillaResidentUncommon66–94 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Mar
Greater ScaupAythya marilaSummer visitorCommon39–56 cmRecorded all year · 0.20% in Mar
BlackcapSylvia atricapillaWinter visitorCommon13–15 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.19% in Mar
Common ScoterMelanitta nigraSummer visitorUncommon43–54 cmRecorded all year · 0.19% in Mar
Greater White-fronted GooseAnser albifronsPassage migrantUncommon64–81 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.17% in Mar
GoldeneyeBucephala clangulaWinter visitorUncommon40–51 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.12% in Mar
RazorbillAlca tordaResidentCommon38–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.12% in Mar
BramblingFringilla montifringillaPassage migrantUncommon14–16 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.11% in Mar
Red CrossbillLoxia curvirostraResidentUncommon15–17 cmRecorded all year · 0.09% in Mar
European RobinErithacus rubeculaWinter visitorUncommon13–14 cmRegularly Sep–Apr · 0.08% in Mar
Horned GrebePodiceps auritusSummer visitorCommon31–38 cmRecorded all year · 0.08% in Mar
Eurasian WoodcockScolopax rusticolaSummer visitorUncommon33–38 cmRegularly Mar–Dec · 0.08% in Mar
StonechatSaxicola rubicolaScarceUncommon12–13 cmRegularly Mar · 0.08% in Mar
Eurasian Collared DoveStreptopelia decaoctoWinter visitorUncommon30–32 cmRecorded all year · 0.07% in Mar
Song ThrushTurdus philomelosWinter visitorUncommon20–23 cmRegularly Oct–Apr · 0.07% in Mar
Short-eared OwlAsio flammeusResidentUncommon34–43 cmRecorded all year · 0.06% in Mar
Great SkuaStercorarius skuaSummer visitorCommon50–58 cmRegularly Mar–Sep · 0.06% in Mar
Jack SnipeLymnocryptes minimusWinter visitorUncommon17–19 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.05% in Mar
Bar-tailed GodwitLimosa lapponicaWinter visitorUncommon37–41 cmRegularly Aug–May · 0.05% in Mar
Hooded CrowCorvus cornixWinter visitorUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Sep–Jul · 0.04% in Mar
Northern ShovelerSpatula clypeataSummer visitorUncommon44–51 cmRegularly Jan–Sep · 0.04% in Mar
Northern LapwingVanellus vanellusPassage migrantUncommon28–31 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.04% in Mar
Surf ScoterMelanitta perspicillataSummer visitorRare48–60 cmRegularly Feb–Nov · 0.04% in Mar
RuffCalidris pugnaxPassage migrantUncommon20–32 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.03% in Mar
WoodpigeonColumba palumbusSummer visitorUncommon40–42 cmRegularly Mar–Oct · 0.03% in Mar
Velvet ScoterMelanitta fuscaSummer visitorRare51–58 cmRegularly Jan–Sep · 0.03% in Mar
Ring-billed GullLarus delawarensisPassage migrantUncommon43–54 cmRegularly Mar–Apr · 0.03% in Mar
Ruddy DuckOxyura jamaicensisScarceRare35–43 cmRegularly Mar · 0.02% in Mar
Little AukAlle alleWinter visitorUncommon18–21 cmRegularly Oct–Mar · 0.02% in Mar
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