Bird Island, the northernmost island of the Seychelles
What to know about Bird Island
Bird Island is the northernmost island of the Seychelles. It lies 100 km north of Mahé and is a 30-minute flight away.
Bird is surrounded by white beaches and crystal-clear blue water. Its 24 seafront bungalows offer a "back to nature" stay in the middle of an old coconut plantation, a bird sanctuary and a nesting site for sea turtles. Bird is also home to Esmeralda (even though the animal is male), possibly the heaviest (300 kg) and oldest (200 years) giant land tortoise in the world.
The island was originally called "Île aux Vaches", after the sea cows (French "vaches de mer") that lived in its waters, but the birds have long since become the main attraction. You can read more about the old name on the page Île aux Vaches.
Bird is a flat coral island of only around 170 acres (about 70 hectares) on the edge of the Seychelles plateau, where the seabed drops steeply to about 2,000 metres. There are no cars and no roads in the usual sense, so you get around on foot. Incidentally, in 1808 the French ship Hirondelle struck a reef off the north-east coast; half of the roughly 180 people on board made it to the island.
Getting there and getting around
The flight from Mahé
Bird Island has its own airstrip, and there is no ferry. The island automatically reserves your return flight along with your room booking. Flights are mostly operated by small aircraft of Zil Air, and at times by an Air Seychelles Twin Otter. If you fly with Zil Air, you must give the body weight of every traveller when booking. Children aged two and over need their own seat.
| Mahé to Bird Island | Bird Island to Mahé | |
|---|---|---|
| Days | Monday and Friday | Monday and Friday |
| Check-in | 1:00 pm at the domestic terminal of the airport | , |
| Departure | 14:00 | 14:45 |
| Arrival | approx. 2:30 pm | approx. 3:15 pm |
If you fly with Zil Air, the island will take you from the airport to the Zil Air base. Excess baggage is carried depending on how much space is free, and on stays of more than a week it is sent on with the next flight. General information on domestic flights can be found under domestic flights, and the journey to the airport under airport transfer.
Length of stay and day trips
After landing, the aircraft stays on the ground for only about 15 minutes, so a day trip on the scheduled flight is not possible. The timetable gives you stays of three nights (Friday to Monday), four nights (Monday to Friday) or whole weeks. Private charter flights are arranged by the island's reservations team, with prices on request.
If you only want to spend a day with birds and conservation, there are alternatives in the day visits to Aride and Cousin, which you can reach from Praslin.
On the island
You explore the island on foot. A walk around the coast takes about an hour or more, depending on how often you stop, and inland, marked paths lead to quieter corners. To reach the sooty tern breeding area, walk north along the beach.
Wildlife, beaches and activities
Nature spectacles up close
Every year between April and October, hundreds of thousands of pairs of sooty terns gather here to hatch their eggs. Between October and February, hawksbill turtles come ashore even during the day to bury their own eggs in the sand.
Visitors can experience all of these spectacles up close. The full-time conservationists stationed on the island are happy to explain their work and show anyone who is interested how and where best to watch the animals, and of course photograph them.
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Breeding colony of sooty terns | roughly April/May to October |
| Egg-laying of hawksbill turtles | October/November to February, peak in December |
| Hatching young turtles | roughly mid-January to April/May, most in February and March |
| Green sea turtles | year-round, at night |
| Migratory birds and rare vagrants | mainly October to March |
| Snorkelling | best October to April |
The dates vary by a few weeks depending on the source, so the seasons do not begin and end on an exact day. In total, almost 100 bird species have been recorded on Bird. Year-round you can see fairy terns, noddies and white-tailed tropicbirds, among others. The choice of month therefore depends on whether you want to see birds (May to October) or turtles (December to March). For general advice on the weather, see best time to visit.
Esmeralda
Esmeralda is considered one of the heaviest free-living giant tortoises in the world. A weight of just under 300 kg is recorded for the 1980s. Be careful with the age: locals consider the claim of 200 years or more exaggerated, and it is not documented. The animal lives on the island together with a few smaller giant tortoises.
Beaches, snorkelling, diving and fishing
Because Bird lies close to the edge of the Seychelles plateau, it is easy to reach extremely rich fishing grounds by boat, where deep-sea anglers and divers both get their money's worth. Snorkellers have fun in the south of the island, in the shallow water between Bird and the offshore coral reef. You will find more information under fishing, diving and snorkelling and dive sites.
The island is fringed by beach all the way round. West Beach lies in front of the bar and the lodge. It is best to bring your own mask and snorkel, while fins can be borrowed. Kayaks are available. For shore fishing you need to bring your own equipment. Ask the island before booking whether diving and deep-sea fishing trips are currently offered. The page dream beaches presents more beaches of the Seychelles.
Accommodation and food
In the early 1970s Bird Island turned to ecotourism. With its various conservation programmes, Bird Island Lodge has grown into one of the most successful ecotourism projects in the Seychelles.
24 comfortable bungalows, lovely beaches, very good food and a friendly, lively atmosphere complete the picture, alongside wonderful opportunities for snorkelling, deep-sea fishing and wildlife watching.
The bungalows are simple and spacious, with a veranda, a fan and a solar-heated shower. There is no air conditioning. The island now also promotes itself as self-catering accommodation: according to the operator, the bungalows have a fully equipped kitchen. There is also the lodge's restaurant and bar. When you book, check which meals you plan to take at the lodge and which you will cook yourself. Please let them know in advance about any special dietary requirements.
Tour operators quote prices of roughly 300 to 450 US dollars per person per night in a double room (as of November 2026), depending on the season and package. You will find everything the island offers under Accommodation on Bird, and restaurants under Eating on Bird. For booking questions, the island's reservations team can be reached via the official website.
Practical information
- Money: Change cash on Mahé and check before you leave how payment works on the island. Some notes can be found under Money and banks.
- Shopping: There is a small boutique at the lodge. If you need particular food items, such as coffee, tea or snacks, it is better to bring them with you. General advice is under Self-catering.
- Medical care: Do not count on a doctor's surgery on the island. Bring a well-stocked travel first-aid kit and take out foreign travel health insurance that covers repatriation. Addresses and emergency numbers: Hospital, clinics and emergency numbers.
- Luggage: Light aircraft have very little space, so pack sparingly. Tips are under Travel luggage.
- Electricity and water: For information on sockets and water, see Electricity and water.
You will find more islands on the page Islands of the Seychelles, for example Denis, which also lies in the north.
