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 93–115 of 154 species

Bar-tailed Godwit

Bar-tailed Godwit

Limosa lapponicaNT

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Aug–May

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

Eurasian Siskin

Spinus spinusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Coot

Fulica atraLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Lesser Whitethroat

Curruca currucaLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Sep–Oct

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

Barn Swallow

Hirundo rusticaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticolaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Mar–Dec

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

Moorhen

Gallinula chloropusLC

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

Stonechat

Saxicola rubicolaLC

ScarceUncommon

Regularly Mar

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

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Great Shearwater

Great Shearwater

Ardenna gravisLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Aug–Sep

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

Hooded Crow

Corvus cornixLC

Winter visitorUncommon

Regularly Sep–Jul

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

Grey Phalarope

Phalaropus fulicariusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Sep

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

Northern Lapwing

Vanellus vanellusNT

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Oct–Mar

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

Water Rail

Rallus aquaticusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Jan–Feb

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

Arctic Loon

Gavia arcticaLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly May–Sep

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

Whinchat

Saxicola rubetraLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Sep–Oct

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

Woodpigeon

Columba palumbusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Mar–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sabine's Gull

Sabine's Gull

Xema sabiniLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly May–Sep

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

Garden Warbler

Sylvia borinLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Sep–Oct

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

Little Gull

Hydrocoloeus minutusLC

Summer visitorUncommon

Regularly Apr–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Ring-billed Gull

Ring-billed Gull

Larus delawarensisLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Mar–Apr

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

Ruff

Calidris pugnaxLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Mar–Oct

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

Spotted Flycatcher

Muscicapa striataLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Sep

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

House Sparrow

Passer domesticusLC

Passage migrantUncommon

Regularly Jan–May

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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