Colours of Iceland 

Bird watching is a very good reason to come to Iceland.

Isolation and the protective nature of the island have let 70 species to live here. Added to these permanent inhabitants, are 230 species that use the island as a stop during their migrations: for only a few days, thousands of birds arrive for a break on their long journey, enjoying large areas to rest and gaining forces.

Even if hunting exists on the island, there are few predators and birds are not threaten : you can then approach them very closely and observe them easily. Some extraordinary places all around the island allow to watch all these birds in a protected environment.

Icelandic people are really addicted to their birds : in April it’s a tradition to watch some species coming back because it’s the sign that spring is there again. People use birds but without risk to disrupt this fragile balance. Few hunters and only for some species, during short periods. Eggs are collected on the whole island for cooking.

Be watchful while travelling in Iceland : each lake, each field, each rocky area is a chance to watch a new bird.

At the end of summer, swans and geese get together on the lakes and meadows before a long trip to their sunny winter quarters.

One of the most interesting species is the Atlantic puffin. Often called “parrot of the sea” because of its multicoloured beak, he lives on the cliffs of the south coast. You can come very close to it.

They come back I May for nest-building : nests are actually burrows covert with feathers. Westmann islands are one of the best place to watch them coming back and how they build their nests. During summer, thousands birds fly over the sea to bring back fishes to their young ones. You often see them flying or waiting on the cliff with small fishes in their beak.

Dirholaey cliffs, near Vik on the south coast, is also one the most popular place to watch them, with high cliffs and an black sandy beach. Young puffins take flight in August, watched over by their parents and admired by many bird-watchers.

On Skrúður island, the colony of puffins count more than 150 000 pairs. The overall number of birds on the whole Island could be 10 millions!

Only on the Westmann islands 7 millions birds are living. On these islands exist a long time tradition during summer: children pick the young puffins disoriented by the light of the towns and lost in the gardens to release them on the seashore.

On the shore you can watch many species of seagull: black-legged kittiwake, petrels, Artic terns, Northern gannets.

The small harbour of Arnarstapi on the Snaefellsness peninsula is a nice observation point.

Nesting on the shore, on rocky areas with a low slope, Eider is easily observable.

Artic terns come to Iceland for breeding after a long trek from South Africa coasts where they return with autumn.

The only handcrafted activy linked to birds is the collect of eiderdown, enjoyed for its outstanding insulating power.

Myvatn lake is the very best place to watch swans and ducks : 15 000 pairs of 15 different species come their for nest-building.