In April the females start prospecting for nest sites. Early in the morning they fly in small groups low over the lava fields, craters and buildings where potential nesting holes are abundant. They vocalize a lot and crawl in and out of every hole they come across. It is not uncommon to see them sitting on rooftops or peeping into chimneys. Accidentally they may fall into the chimneys and get themselves killed.
Some birds find suitable nesting sites in the stonewalls or roofs of old sheephouses or barns.
In the fifties farmers started erecting nest boxes for the Barrow's Goldeneye inside barns and other outhouses. Other nests are in holes and crevices in the surrounding lavafields. The females not only lay in their own nests but quite often visit other nests and lay eggs there. It seems likely that in this way the female lowers the risk of loosing all her eggs if her own nest would be destroyed. The young hatch in early July.