Iceland Birding Tours

Iceland has three national parks and our tours take in the stunning Snæfellsnes peninsula which forms one such national park. On our Iceland tour we visit many Important Bird Areas (IBAs); sites considered important for birds according to BirdLife International. Along with Snæfellsnes, we will visit other IBAs including Flatey Island and Látrabjarg bird cliffs (a proposed new nature reserve on the Reykjanes peninsula). Our Iceland tour focuses on the west and north of the island and this should give the best opportunities to sample the island’s unique habitats and birdlife.

Following International Ornithological Congress (IOC) taxonomy, the Iceland bird list sits at 414 species (IOC v10.2) in September 2020, of which 15 are globally threatened, although Iceland has no endemic bird species. Iceland was also once the territory of the now extinct Great Auk. The highlight species of our Iceland tours include King Eider, Common Eider, Harlequin Duck, Long-tailed Duck, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Tufted Duck, Rock Ptarmigan, Common Loon, White-tailed Eagle, Red-necked Phalarope, Red (Grey) Phalarope, Black-tailed Godwit, Glaucous Gull, Arctic Tern, Great Skua, Thick-billed Murre (Brunnich’s Guillemot), Atlantic Puffin, Black Guillemot, Gyrfalcon, Redwing, and Snow Bunting. There are many more great species possible (see the detailed tour itinerary for details) and despite the harsh environments, the abundance of birds here during the summer months leads to an amazing spectacle. This is most evident with the breeding seabirds, alcids, shorebirds, and wildfowl – many of which give excellent, close-up views and fantastic photo opportunities. There is also a chance of vagrant species from North America and Europe which adds to the excitement of a visit to Iceland. The waters off Iceland contain abundant sea-life and we take a whale watching boat trip looking for the seriously massive Blue Whale and Humpback Whale, a definite highlight, while on land we might come across an Arctic Fox busy hunting for nesting seabirds.

Bird watching in Iceland during the summer months offers so much more than the spectacle of millions of breeding birds; during our tour we will take in some of the Earth’s greatest geological wonders. The huge forces that formed Iceland now add to its breathtaking majesty and curiosity. The snow-capped mountains, volcanoes, staggering glaciers, huge fjords and lakes, and powerful waterfalls are all worthy of a visit in their own right. Iceland offers great accommodation, extremely friendly and welcoming people, some of the best food on any tour we run, and birds that will leave you totally exhilarated. Do come and join us as we explore this incredible island.