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 139–154 of 154 species

Cackling Goose

Cackling Goose

Branta hutchinsiiLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Apr–May

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
White-winged Tern

White-winged Tern

Chlidonias leucopterusLC

ScarceRare

Regularly Jun

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Leach's Storm-petrel

Leach's Storm-petrel

Hydrobates leucorhousVU

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jun–Aug

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Long-tailed Jaeger

Long-tailed Jaeger

Stercorarius longicaudusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly May–Aug

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

Pomarine Jaeger

Stercorarius pomarinusLC

Summer visitorRare

Regularly Apr–Sep

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

Smew

Mergellus albellusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly May–Jun

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

Grey Plover

Pluvialis squatarolaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly May–Oct

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

Bonaparte's Gull

Chroicocephalus philadelphiaLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jul

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

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Hawfinch

Hawfinch

Coccothraustes coccothraustesLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Apr–Oct

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

Wood Sandpiper

Tringa glareolaLC

ScarceRare
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Curlew Sandpiper

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferrugineaNT

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jun–Sep

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

Wood Warbler

Phylloscopus sibilatrixLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Oct

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

Greenshank

Tringa nebulariaLC

ScarceRare
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
White-rumped Sandpiper

White-rumped Sandpiper

Calidris fuscicollisVU

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jul

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

Common Swift

Apus apusLC

Passage migrantRare

Regularly Jun–Jul

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

Black Swan

Cygnus atratusLC

ScarceRare
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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