Birds in Iceland

154 species listed · birdwatchers' records, 2019–2024

Our list for Iceland has 154 bird species recorded regularly there: 30 residents, 43 summer visitors, 25 winter visitors, 45 passage migrants and 11 scarce visitors.

The list comes from 910,000 birdwatchers' records from 2019–2024, shared through the eBird Observation Dataset on GBIF. A bird is listed when it was recorded in at least 3 of the 6 years and has a Birdfact species guide, so more species occur here than are listed; the months show when it is recorded most years.

Birds to see in Iceland in September

107 species on our list are recorded regularly this month. These are the ones birdwatchers record most often.

All 107 birds in September

Arriving in September: Common Merganser, Chiffchaff, Grey Heron, European Robin, Greater White-fronted Goose, Goldeneye, Yellow-browed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat and 13 more.

Through the year

Species recorded regularly in Iceland each month: most in September (107), fewest in December (65). Choose a month to see its birds.

107
Show as a table
Goldcrest
GoldcrestSmallest · 8.5cm
to
Whooper Swan
Whooper SwanLargest · 165cm
From the Goldcrest (8.5 cm) to the Whooper Swan (165 cm)36 families

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All 154 birds on the list

Showing 47–69 of 154 species

Northern Gannet

Northern Gannet

Morus bassanusLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Dec–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Loon

Common Loon

Gavia immerLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Merganser

Common Merganser

Mergus merganserLC

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Sep–Jul

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Rock Dove

Rock Dove

Columba liviaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Blackcap

Blackcap

Sylvia atricapillaLC

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Oct–Apr

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Purple Sandpiper

Purple Sandpiper

Calidris maritimaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Merlin

Merlin

Falco columbariusLC

Winter visitorCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Gull

Common Gull

Larus canusLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

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Rock Ptarmigan

Rock Ptarmigan

Lagopus mutaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Wheatear

Wheatear

Oenanthe oenantheLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Red Knot

Red Knot

Calidris canutusNT

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Bohemian Waxwing

Bohemian Waxwing

Bombycilla garrulusLC

Winter visitorCommon

Regularly Oct–Feb

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Horned Grebe

Horned Grebe

Podiceps auritusVU

Summer visitorCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Greater Scaup

Greater Scaup

Aythya marilaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Great Skua

Great Skua

Stercorarius skuaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Mar–Sep

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
European Shag

European Shag

Gulosus aristotelisLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Brent Goose

Brent Goose

Branta berniclaLC

Passage migrantCommon

Regularly Apr–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Razorbill

Razorbill

Alca tordaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Gadwall

Gadwall

Mareca streperaLC

ResidentCommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sanderling

Sanderling

Calidris albaLC

Summer visitorCommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Scoter

Common Scoter

Melanitta nigraLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Common Shelduck

Common Shelduck

Tadorna tadornaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Recorded all year

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Chiffchaff

Chiffchaff

Phylloscopus collybitaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Apr–Nov

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
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Frequently Asked Questions

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

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