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There are 31 species of native mammals on Exmoor and over 243 different species of birds, of which 100 nest on Exmoor.
Exmoor offers a wealth of special and unique opportunities
just a few of which are detailed here.
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
The 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!
Exmoor's heathland is becoming increasingly important for breeding birds that rely on an intricate mix of heather, gorse and scrub. The most notable of these is the Dartford warbler, a typically lowland heathland species, which has seen a dramatic increase in numbers over the last decade. Just a handful of birds occupied Exmoor's coastal heathlands in the mid-1990s, but favoured by a combination of milder winters and conservation management, numbers increased dramatically to 68 territories in 2002.
In 2006, suitable habitat for Dartford warblers was surveyed across England and Wales as part of a nationwide census of the species. On Exmoor, a team of staff and volunteers from the National Park, RSPB and BTO carried out the survey, recording 118 territories, another huge increase in just four years
Overall, across England and Wales, the 2006 survey recorded over 2,550 territories, an increase of 52% compared to the previous national survey in 1994. Exmoor now supports over 4% of the UK population of Dartford warblers and is therefore of national importance for this species. The coastal heaths, Dunkery, Molland Moor and East Anstey Common are the most important areas. Moreover, Exmoor boasts the highest recorded Dartford warbler of the national survey at 490m!
This is a good news story for Exmoor and sets a challenge for future years to maintain and where possible further enhance the populations of these special birds.
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This site is continually being updated - last major update 07th April 2008
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