Learn to Identify Moorland Birds
The hills are alive once again with the sound of spring birdsong. With the nesting season now in full swing, the RSPB have written us a beginner's guide to Britain's most common upland and moorland birds. Being able to distinguish your dippers from your dotterels brings a different sort of enjoyment to a hill day; and since many of these species are ground-nesting too, and thus vulnerable to disturbance, cultivating some knowledge of them can't go amiss.
Nb. This article follows on from our guide to Upland Birds of Prey:
- These birds are particularly susceptible to disturbance so we ask hillwalkers and climbers to be particularly careful in areas where there are known to be nesting ring ouzels. They're on the UK Red List, with falling numbers and a shrinking breeding range.
Help protect moorland birds
General advice
You can enjoy exploring our beautiful uplands without disturbing wildlife, providing you stay alert to how birds and other animals are behaving. Moorland birds nest on the ground, so they're particularly vulnerable. If a bird is calling repeatedly close by, it's likely that it is making an alarm call because you are too close to its nest – so move on as quickly as you can.
If you're accompanied by a canine family member please use a lead where appropriate, and be aware of ground-nesting birds, livestock and other animals including adders.
Watching black grouse leks
The best way to watch leks and feeding birds is from a vehicle, as black grouse pay little attention to stationary cars that are at least 100 metres away. Avoid approaching a lek on foot, which usually disturbs the birds. To see a black grouse lek you usually need to make an early start, arriving at the lek site before daybreak. A vehicle stopping once it is light can disturb the birds. Stay in your vehicle and watch quietly through binoculars and telescopes. Get the flask of coffee from the boot before your vigil. Don't start the engine until after lekking has wound down, usually about two hours after dawn. Alternatively, you can consider watching a lek in the evening!
- Find out about watching wildlife on the RSPB's nature reserves