Iceland is an extraordinary country, forged from volcanic eruptions along the burning boundary between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. Great forces have wrought a spectacular landscape, replete with towering glaciers, moss-covered lava fields, bubbling mud pools, and plunging waterfalls. Situated at the edge of the Arctic Circle, Iceland experiences near-constant daylight in the height of summer, while the deep night of winter reveals the ethereal shifting colours of the Northern Lights.
Ecologically, the country sits at the meeting point of the Palearctic and Nearctic faunal regions, making it a remarkable melting pot for a host of species with otherwise disparate distributions; it hosts the most westerly breeding Eurasian Wigeon and White Wagtail, and the most easterly Great Northern Diver, Harlequin Duck, and Barrow’s Goldeneye. Other iconic species of the country, such as Gyrfalcon, Orca, Arctic Fox and Atlantic Puffin are no less thrilling to encounter. Overall wildlife density may be relatively low, but the opportunity to observe Iceland’s northern specialities amongst a fairytale landscape of fire, rock and ash makes it a deeply rewarding destination for naturalists.
Featured Iceland Tours
Our Iceland Specialist Recommends
"For a spring tour then our 9-day holiday ‘Iceland’ is perfect, enjoy the dramatic, volcanic scenery as we search for breeding birds. Our ‘Iceland – Northern Lights & Winter Wildlife’ tour is a 5-day winter break to west Iceland to search for cetaceans and the Aurora Borealis."
George Nicholson - Operations Manager
Whats special about the wildlife?
Iceland lies at an avian crossroads – the meeting place of Palearctic and Nearctic faunal regions.
Here we find the most westerly breeding grounds of both Wigeon and Pied Wagtail, and the most easterly breeding populations of Great Northern Diver, Harlequin Duck and Barrows Goldeneye.
The variety of the islands bird life may not be great, but many species are very much tamer here than elsewhere in Europe and the sheer quality of Icelands northern specialities has long attracted visiting ornithologists.
Mammals too, though few, include a wide variety of cetaceans – though not all are easy to see – together with the occasional Arctic Fox.
What might I see?
- Waterfowl such as Harlequin Duck, Long-tailed Duck, Red-breasted Merganser & Barrows Goldeneye
- Other special Arctic birds such as Gyr Falcon & Red-necked Phalarope
- Cetaceans including Humpback and Minke Whales and Orcas
- Geothermal landforms such as hot springs at Geysir and immense waterfalls such at Gullfoss and Dettifoss
