Birds

For a land-locked County, Wiltshire has a good range of habitats: wide open grasslands, ancient woodlands, chalk streams, flower-rich hay meadows, arable farmland and large man-made lakes which are richer in wildlife than some similar areas in many parts of the UK; and they support a diverse array of bird species.

Of particular note are chalk grassland areas, such as Salisbury Plain, which support several endangered species including the Linnet, Skylark and the remarkable Stone Curlew. Although a few flocks of hundreds are still seen, Lapwings are few in number compared with what they were just thirty years ago, and the great swirling flocks of thousands of Starlings and finches are becoming a thing of the past. Wheatears are quite common passage migrants and rare breeders. In the winter the downs support visiting raptors and Short-eared Owls. Until the early 19th century Great Bustards roamed Salisbury Plain and an attempt is being made to re-introduce them. In the farmalnds there are still Quail, Grey Partridge, Yellow Wagtails and Tree Sparrows to be found. It is not uncommon to see the Barn Owl hunting in the fields in the evening.

On the rivers and wetlands there are Kingfishers, Herons and Little Grebes (also known as Dabchicks) in good numbers. Grasshopper warblers are far scarcer than in the recent past, but Cetti's Warbler, while still rare, are found in more places. Dippers live on some rivers. Hobbies visit in the summer, while Common Snipe and Jack Snipe are winter visitors and Bitterns and Little Egrets are regularly recorded. On the open waters Great Crested Grebes and several species of duck breed and more visit in the winter, as do many gulls. Passage migrants include Osprey, terns and divers.

Notable in the woods are Nuthatches, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Woodcock and, in suitable areas Nightjars. Here, and in some watermeadows, Nightingales, though fewer in number, still sing and the voice of the Turtle Dove is heard in our land.

Buzzards and Sparrowhawks have become common in all areas and the re-introduced Red Kite is seen increasingly often.

To find out more about Wiltshire's birds take a look at the County Recorders pages