Conservation at a Flyway Scale: Iceland

At the RSPB, an important part of our work is protecting and restoring vital habitat at key landscapes along the East Atlantic Flyway. This is a bird migration superhighway that connects over 70 countries from the Arctic all the way to the southern tip of Africa. This includes the UK.  

In Iceland, much of the lowland wetlands, which are crucial to many birds migrating along the Flyway, have been badly degraded. But why is this vital habitat disappearing and what’s being done to save it?  

Join us for a deep dive into the lowland wetlands of ‘the land of fire and ice’.  

All over lowland Iceland, wetlands have been drained for agricultural use. Today, it’s estimated that over 34,000km of drainage ditches criss-cross the country’s low-lying areas, with more than 70% of lowland wetlands being impacted. 

This changing land use has far-reaching impacts. Drying and damaging the soil releases carbon that has been stored within the wetlands and hampers our fight against the climate crisis. It also puts pressure on birds and ecosystems, not just in Iceland but across the UK, western Europe and Africa.  

That’s because Iceland’s lowland wetlands provide important breeding habitat for wading birds, including Black-tailed Godwits, Dunlins and Common Snipe. Many other species breed in the country’s wetland pools and grassy tussocks, too, so the habitat loss is having a major impact on wider bird populations. 

Iceland is a globally important region for breeding waders. A staggering 61% of the global population of Eurasian Golden Plovers breeds in Iceland. So, too, does 27% of the world’s Eurasian Whimbrels and 12% of all Common Redshanks. As they head for warmer climes after breeding, these birds forge connections between Iceland and many other countries along the Flyway. 

For example, the Redshanks that we see along UK coastlines during autumn and winter have almost all flown here from Iceland. So, if the quality and availability of breeding habitat in Iceland declines, we’ll see the effects on our own shores. 

Unfortunately, Iceland's precious wetlands are under threat not only from drainage but from other pressures too. These include residential summer house developments, energy infrastructure and the planting of non-native tree species. This last activity, which is often done to generate carbon credits, is particularly concerning.  

Many Icelandic tree-planting schemes introduce non-native conifer species instead of native birch woodland. These conifer plantations, often made up of a single species, don’t support the same levels of biodiversity as the native wetlands and birch woodland.  

As a result, their introduction reduces the amount of suitable nesting habitat for many migratory waders. The non-native trees can also become invasive, potentially putting even more habitat at risk. 

It’s estimated to take around 15 years before newly planted conifers begin to store carbon at the level required to generate their first credits. During this time, more carbon is lost from the soil’s reserves as the ground is dug up to plant saplings. 

In the right areas, and using the right species, tree planting has a hugely important role to play in our fight against the climate crisis. However, getting the location and species right is vital if we’re to avoid doing more harm than good. 

To combat these issues, the RSPB is working with Fuglavernd (BirdLife Iceland) and other partners, including Land and Forest Iceland and the Icelandic University of Agriculture, to re-wet hundreds of hectares of degraded habitat.  

This involves blocking or filling-in ditches that were used to drain the land, to raise the water table. By doing so, we can restore the pools and grassy areas that a diverse range of species rely on. 

We’re also supporting Fuglavernd to make sure that wetlands and other important habitats in Iceland gain legal protection. This helps to ensure that only the most appropriate sites are chosen for tree planting as well as other land-use changes or developments. 

Keep an eye out for updates as our work with Fuglavernd to protect and restore wetland habitat in Iceland continues. By working with our partners, we hope to establish a clear example of what it’s possible to achieve for the conservation of migratory birds at a flyway scale. 

This work is being undertaken by Fuglavernd/BirdLife Iceland in partnership with the RSPB and has been made possible thanks to funding from the European Union and Ecological Restoration Fund.  

The Ecological Restoration Fund supports work that protects biodiverse hotspots, rejuvenates degraded landscapes and promotes local environmental activism. They are committed to re-establishing nature’s essential interconnections while fostering cultural, social and economic opportunities for the communities inhabiting those landscapes.