Samples taken from a white-tailed eagle found dead on a skerry near Barðaströnd in the Westfjords in mid-September tested positive for a severe bird flu virus of the strain HPAI H4N5. An eider duck that was found dead in Ólafsfjörður, West Iceland recently was infected with the same strain of bird flu virus. The strain has not been detected in Iceland before and is not common.
Such deaths are unusual at this time of year in Iceland and their cause is unknown. The widespread deaths of Kittiwakes cannot be attributed to bird flu, according to Brigitte Brugger of the Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST). Samples from the birds analysed by MAST ruled out the illness. While bird flu is unlikely to be the cause, extreme weather may be a possible explanation.
Svafar Gylfason spotted the year’s first puffin while fishing at sea near Grímsey island, North Iceland last weekend. He says the beloved bird’s appearance is a week earlier than it’s been in the past.
A total of 78% of puffin nests on the islands were occupied in a recent survey. Puffins have been hard hit in recent years due to a diminished food supply. It remains to be seen how successful the breeding season will be.
A golden plover, traditionally believed to announce the arrival of spring in Iceland, was spotted in Stokkseyri on March 28, a little later than usual. They spends the winter as far south as North Africa, returning north to breed.
Two horned grebes have settled in Reykjavík Pond in the city centre, RÚV reports. It is the first time the species is found nesting at the location. At the turn of the century, the horned grebe population was placed on a watchlist due to its decline, but it seems to have made a recovery since. […]
Puffins are an endangered species, whose numbers have declined largely due to climate change and overfishing.
The first two arctic terns of the season were spotted in Southeast Iceland on Saturday morning, according to the Southeast Iceland Bird Observatory. Their arrival is two or three days earlier than usual. Bird enthusiasts across the country are following along with migratory species as they return to their breeding grounds in Iceland.
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