email a friend
printable version
IS028
Vestmannaeyjar
Location Iceland, Vestmannaeyjar
Central coordinates 20o 19.00' West  63o 25.00' North
IBA criteria A4i, A4ii, A4iii, B1i, B1ii, B2
Area 27,500 ha
Altitude 0 - 226m
Year of IBA assessment 2000

Fuglavernd - BirdLife Iceland (Partner Designate)



Ornithological information More than one million pairs of seabirds breed here, including the largest congregation of breeding Oceanodroma leucorhoa in Europe, more than 90% of breeding Hydrobates pelagicus in Iceland, and 100% of breeding Puffinus puffinus in Iceland.

Site description The site comprises all of the islands (and surrounding waters) in this offshore archipelago. Traditional harvesting of seabirds takes place (`Other' land-use): the eggs of Fulmarus glacialis and auks; the young, mainly of Sula bassana; and adults of Fratercula arctica.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis breeding  1984  65,000 breeding pairs  -  A4ii, B1ii  Least Concern 
Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus breeding  1991  8,000-10,000 breeding pairs  -  A4ii, B1ii, B2  Least Concern 
European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus breeding  1991  50,000-100,000 breeding pairs  medium  A4ii, B1ii, B2  Least Concern 
Leach's Storm-petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa breeding  1991  80,000-150,000 breeding pairs  medium  A4ii, B1ii, B2  Least Concern 
Northern Gannet Morus bassanus breeding  1994  9,000 breeding pairs  good  A4ii, B1ii, B2  Least Concern 
Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla breeding  1984  32,000 breeding pairs  -  A4i, B1i  Least Concern 
Common Guillemot Uria aalge breeding  1984  52,900-61,000 breeding pairs  good  B1ii  Least Concern 
Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica breeding  -  999,999 breeding pairs  -  A4ii, B1ii, B2  Least Concern 
A4iii Species group - waterbirds breeding  -  -  unknown  A4iii   
A4iii Species group - seabirds breeding  -  -  unknown  A4iii   

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Surtsey Nature Reserve 6,559 protected area contained by site 270  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Grassland   20%
Sea Open Sea; Sea inlets and coastal features  60%
Coastline Rock stacks and islets; Sea cliffs and rocky shores  20%

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
other -
nature conservation and research -
tourism/recreation -

Management considerations The islands are not protected, except Surtsey, but Ystiklettur and three islands, Ellidaey, Súlnasker and Hellisey, are on the list of sites of conservation interest in the Nature Conservation Register.

Protection status National Low International None270 ha of IBA covered by Scientific Reserve (Surtsey, 270 ha).

Contribute  Please click here to help BirdLife conserve the world's birds - your data for this IBA and others are vital for helping protect the environment.

Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Vestmannaeyjar. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/05/2013

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife