Ecosystem

Keflavik Airport is Iceland's largest airport. Its area does not include any protected areas or designated archaeological remains. However, the Miðnesheiði moor, where the airport is situated, is among the world’s largest nesting grounds for the lesser black-backed gull. The airport area also supports a wealth of moorland birds. Attempts have been made to modify vegetation within the area, including by planting lupins, applying organic fertilisers and sowing.

Airport habitats vary in the diversity of their flora and fauna. We at Isavia actively monitor and record wildlife activity in our airport areas. The level of detail of the records varies between airports, as does the level of wildlife presence, which consists mostly of birds, although occasionally reindeer, foxes or rabbits need to be dispersed from areas where they pose a risk.

An important part of airfield operations is minimising hazards for air passengers, including the risk of animal-aircraft collisions such as bird strikes. This is achieved through wildlife hazard management, which includes scaring, exclusion from the airport area, habitat management and other strategies. A record is kept of our wildlife control actions and general developments of the fauna at each airport. Scaring obviously affects wildlife but is necessary to ensure the safety of aircraft and passengers and therefore an integral part of our wildlife management.

Foxes are the only wild land animals living at and around Keflavik Airport. Their number has dwindled significantly in recent years and fox sightings are rare, although more prevalent in 2016 than in many previous years. While the vast majority of birds in the area are migratory, a small contingent of ptarmigan maintains a year-round presence.

The table below lists the species of wildlife, all of them birds, recorded in our airport areas. It only includes species dispersed by our staff from airport areas, so is far from exhaustive for all species inhabiting them. The species are classified by their status on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Their legal status in Iceland is also indicated. Species’ relative abundance in Iceland can differ from global figures, so the list includes species not under threat according the IUCN list but protected under Icelandic law.