The South West is rich in wildlife. The woodlands, moors, river and heathland support a range of wildlife including badgers, dormouse, deer (red & fallow) and otters. The coasts and seas of the region are important for a diverse range of plant and animal species many of which are only found in the British Isles around the South West. The mild waters of the region support a number of rare corals and seaweeds that are more typical of the Mediterranean waters further south. Small numbers of grey seals breed in caves, on islands and on beaches in undisturbed areas. The waters off the north coast of Devon and Cornwall are the richest area in southern Britain for whales, dolphins, porpoises and basking sharks and there are frequent sightings of marine turtles off Land’s End.
Birdlife in the South West is outstanding: from wintering wildfowl at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire to the nesting Guillemots and Razorbills on Lundy Island. From the exotic Avocets on Devon’s Exe Estuary to Somerset’s Bittern success story. You’ll discover Choughs and Peregrine Falcons on Cornwall’s sea cliffs, the enigmatic little Dartford Warbler on our coastal heathlands and the colourful Bearded Tit in many of the southern reserves - such as Lodmoor and Radipole. It is also the only place in the UK where the rare cirl bunting still survives and thrives.
South West England has:
