Two bird species never seen in Iceland stir excitement

Two bird species have been recorded in Iceland for the first time, drawing considerable interest from local birdwatchers, mbl.is reported. Ornithologist Jóhann Óli Hilmarsson said the birds had arrived from different parts of the world.

The first, a brumsöngvari, was seen near Vík in Lón on October 1. The small, greyish warbler has a distinctive wing bar. It breeds from eastern Germany and Finland east through Russia to the Himalayas and China, and winters in India, Myanmar, Bangladesh and elsewhere. It is regularly seen in western Europe but had not previously been recorded in Iceland.

The second, a ljómagræningi, was spotted on October 6 near Ýrafoss power station on the Sog river. It breeds in eastern North America, from Canada south to Florida, and migrates to Cuba and elsewhere in the Caribbean, Central America, Venezuela and Colombia. It is related to another American passerine that is seen in Iceland most autumns.

The ljómagræningi has been recorded in Europe only twice before: in Britain in 1990 and Germany in 1998, both in autumn. It has a yellow breast, large pale wing bars and blue legs.

Recent low-pressure systems from Europe and North America are thought to have brought the birds to Iceland. Alex Máni Guðríðarson, a birdwatcher from Stokkseyri, photographed both species.