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Bird Watching on Exmoor

Three special features of Exmoor explain its rich resident and migrant bird life:

Its low population density and man's limited impact on its landscape and vegetation - over half of the Exmoor National Park is semi-natural habitat

It's very diverse topography and vegetation with mixed and rare ecosystems - steep rugged cliffs, wooded cliffs, natural moorland of heather heath and scrub and its sheltered wooded and open valleys with their streams and rivers and has mild winters in its coastal areas.

Keep an eye out for the many species of raptors, the common buzzards, sparrow hawks and kestrels, also peregrines, merlins, hobbies, possibly hen harriers, red kites, and even goshawks, in winter. A wealth of smaller birds: kingfishers and dippers can be spotted along the streams in valley bottoms, plus stonechats, whinchats, Dartford warblers and more... little egrets, hoopoes, mergansers. The area with the greatest diversity of habitat is Porlock Vale - one place to be visited during your stay!