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Description
Vestmannaeyjar (or Westman Islands) is an archipelago off the south coast of Iceland. Heimaey is the only of the islands that is accessible to tourists. The islands are home to approximately 2.5 million breeding pairs of seabirds. Among these, nearly half are mormon. More than 30 other species of birds nest in the cliffs and grassy ledges, some of them easiest accessible on Heimaey (1), such as mormon, triprsti galeb and ledni viharnik. During migration, if the wind has been favorable, Icelandic birders collect on Heimaey to scan gardens, beaches (2), waste outlets (3), and garbage dumps (4) for rare vagrants. While many of the vagrants that show up in the Vestmannaeyjar are from the European continent, the "heaviest hitters" are the Nearctic (American) birds that have shown up after westerly weather systems have blown them off course during autumn migration. See eBird for more information regarding this, and make sure to notify the Icelandic birders if you spot something rare.
Details
Access
Vestmannaeyjar can be reached by ferry service from Landeyjahöfn. It offers several scheduled trips daily, with a sailing time of 45 minutes. Parking is available throughout the island, and bringing a car/bike or renting either provides a great opportunity to go birding in a variety of habitats.
Terrain and Habitat
Sea , Canyon/cliff , City/village , Grassland , BeachConditions
HillyCircular trail
YesIs a telescope useful?
Can be usefulGood birding season
All year roundBest time to visit
Summer , Autumn migration , Spring migrationRoute
Wide path , Narrow trail , Paved road , Unpaved roadDifficulty walking trail
Average walkAccessible by
Foot , Bicycle , Car , Boat , WheelchairBirdwatching hide / platform
YesLinks
- Visitwestmanislands.com
- eBird: Vestmannaeyjar
- eBird: Rauf
- eBird: Víkin
- eBird: Eiðið
- eBird: Gaujulundur