The word shag coming from an old meaning for shag (a thick, tangled hairstyle or mass of hair) and relates to its tufted head plumage. They are smaller than the cormorant, have a greenish tint to the plumage, thinner bill and a crest. Just like the cormorant they can be seen with their wings spread out to dry. The shag is often seen further offshore than the cormorant.

The eider duck is the most common duck in Iceland and can be seen along the coast and in some lakes close to the ocean.  The down (small feathers they use to line their nests) was collected as far back as the 14th century and almost lead to their extinction in the 19thCentury. 

The Common Gull is quite a recent known breeder to Iceland. First known to breed at Akureyri, N. Iceland, in 1936 and has spread around Iceland since then. They closely resemble the Herring Gull but are smaller, about the size of a kittiwake.  They are a gregarious species usually found in large flocks even away from the breeding grounds. 

Guillemots are observed in there hundreds if not thousands on the sea and are a close relative of the Puffin. They are one of the deeper diving seabirds diving to a staggering 230m deep for their food but usually only dives between 50-100m. 

The Brünnich’s Guillemot is a high latitude species and differs in appearance to the Common Guillemot by its shorter, thicker bill with a white gape stripe. The guillemots are now the largest of the Auk family since the Great Auk became extinct in 1844.

These are the smallest goose species seen in Iceland. They are frequently seen on the three Puffin colonies we visit Lundey/Engey/Akurey. This species are more of a seabird than other geese spending most of their time feeding on the seaweed and other vegetation in shallow seas. 

The black-headed gull is small and easily recognisable. In the winter they loose their black head but can still be recognisable by the black spot on both sides of the head behind the eye. Its scientific name means “laughing gull” because of how loud it is and the noise it makes at colonies. They are observed mainly close to the shore or inland.

These are the smallest goose species seen in Iceland. They are frequently seen on the two Puffin colonies we visit Lundey/Akurey. This species are more of a seabird than other geese spending most of their time feeding on the seaweed and other vegetation in shallow seas. They don’t breed in Iceland but seen in their thousands in autumn as they stop in Iceland to feed before they contin

Puffins are part of the Auk family of seabirds that also include razorbills and guillemots. They can fly, swim, and dig burrows and are one of three species of puffin in the world. Over half the world’s population of Puffins comes to Iceland to breed. Iceland also has the largest Atlantic Puffin colony in the world. The Westmann Islands in the south has about 700,000 nesting pairs.