Icelandic chickens are alert and react quickly to danger but are not immune to predation by wild animals, hawks and dogs.

Icelandic chickens love to forage, dig in manure and compost piles, and can fly quite well, which helps them to roost as high as they are able to at night.

Icelandic chickens are not standardized in appearance, possess a wide range of plumage colors and patterns, and comb types.

The Eigenda- og ræktendafélag landnámshænsna (ERL) or The Owners and Breeders Association of Landnámshænan in Iceland, has written a description of the landrace.

Unlike a modern chicken breed that commonly has an inbred factor of 12%, Icelandics have proven by DNA analysis to be remarkably genetically diverse.