The Water Rail  (Rallus aquaticus) was an uncommon breeding bird in Iceland until the middle of the last century. The last known breeding was in 1963. Its extinction as a breeding bird is most likely due to drainage of marshlands and the arrival of the mink in Icelandic nature. A few birds are seen here in the winter time.

This bird was seen near Hveragerði in South Iceland in January 2011. There are ditches there with warm water that  the bird was attracted to.