Wildlife

- around and near Hotel Hellnar

Birds

Morus bassanus (ísl : Súla) - Iceland provides a breeding ground for many native birds, as well as migrant birds.

Iceland does not have many terrestrial mammals so when people come to explore the wildlife of Iceland much of the focus is on the varied birdlife.

Iceland provides a breeding ground for many native birds, as well as migrant birds. Many migrant birds also make a short stop over in Iceland on their way to Greenland and Canada.

The following list was compiled by the guide for Avian Adventure Bird Tour that stayed at Hotel Hellnar for 2 nights – May 13-15, 2006. Birds sighted around Hotel Hellnar and at various places on Snaefellsnes Peninsula were:

Slavonian Grebe – Fulmar – Gannet – Cormorant – Shag – Whooper Swan – Pink-footed Goose – Greylag Goose – Light bellied Brent Goose – Eurasian Wigeon – Common Teal – Mallard – Tufted Duck – Greater Scaup – Common Eider – Harlequin Duck – Long-tailed Duck – Red-breasted Merganser – Merlin – Rock Ptarmigan – Eurasian Oystercatcher – Common Ringed Plover – European Golden Plover – Purple Sandpiper – Dunlin – Common Snipe – Black-tailed Godwit – Whimbrel – Common Redshank – Ruddy Turnstone – Red Knot – Sanderling – Arctic Skua – Great Skua – Black-headed Gull – Lesser black-backed Gull – Herring Gull – Iceland Gull – Glaucous Gull – Great black-backed Gull – Black-legged Kittiwake – Arctic Tern – Common Guillemot – Brunnich’s Guillemot – Razorbill – Black Guillemot – Barn Swallow – Meadow pipit – Northern Wheater – Redwing – Common Raven – Common Starling – Snow Bunting.

Birds also found in the area that were missed by the group are: White-tailed Eagle (often seen on the Unique Adventure tours by Seatours out of Stykkisholmur) – Gyr Falcon – Red-necked Phalarope – Snowy Owl – Atlantic Puffin (can be seen in Breidafjordur islands or at Thufubjarg in the Snaefellsjokull National Park).

Mammals

The only terrestrial mammal that was in Iceland when the first settlers came was the Arctic Fox. It can be spotted at various areas within the Snaefellsjokull National Park. The Park’s Rangers offer tours to their dens for about 3-4 weeks in end June or beginning of July, when the mother goes out to get food for her puppies.