The New Forest is home to a wide variety of birdlife, including goshawks, lapwings, redshanks, snipe, hobbies, curlews, owls, woodlarks, nightjars and woodpeckers to name a few. Because the National Park has a diverse range of habitats, many species of bird choose to nest within its boundaries, some live here permanently, while others are seasonal migratory birds. If you are fortunate enough to be in the New Forest early in the morning, the dawn chorus is a wonderful sound to experience. For the protection and conservation of the birdlife and their habitats, please keep to the main tracks and footpaths as the forest is home to many species of ground nesting birds.
The LAPWING is a ground nesting, wading bird which is in decline throughout Britain. The New Forest National Park is therefore a very important habitat for them. The lapwing nests on dry, exposed sites but usually moves after hatching to a damp, grassy location. Its diet mainly consists of worms and insects.
The REDSHANK is another wading bird sometimes called 'the warden of the marsh' because of its loud calls when alerting other birds to danger. As their name suggests, redshanks have red legs. They nest in any wetland, from a damp meadow to saltmarshes. Like most waders they mainly feed on small invertebrates.
The SPARROW HAWK is a bird of prey that nests in fairly open and mature woodland areas. Its diet consists mainly of small birds, ranging in size from sparrows to wood pigeons and they will occasionally feed on small animals, like rodents, although they prefer birds. Between 4 and 6 eggs are laid in the nest and fledging occurs approximately 4 weeks after hatching, although independence is not gained until the fledglings have achieved the vital hunting skills, necessary for their survival.
The SNIPE is a wading bird and its numbers are also in decline due to the lack of natural habitat available. Therefore, the New Forest National Park is very important for the future of the snipe in Britain. Like most waders, the snipes diet consists mainly of invertebrates and insect larvae.
The CURLEW is Europe's largest wading bird and as with many waders, its numbers are in decline due to the loss of its habitat. Curlews make their homes on wet heathland, bogs and on coastal mud flats during winter. Its diet consists mainly of invertebrates, shrimps and small crabs.
The KESTREL is a bird of prey that can be seen hovering in the sky, looking for its prey. They are found in many different habitats but prefer heathland and moorland provided there are trees, fences, pylons, buildings etc. on which they can perch. The Kestrels diet consists mainly of small mammals such as voles and small birds.
The WOODLARK is a ground nesting birds that prefers to nest on open heathland, woodland clearings or in areas where new trees have been planted. Its diet consists mainly of seeds, insects, spiders and larvae. As with most ground nesting birds, the woodlarks' main predators are animals such as the fox and stoats etc.
Three species of WOODPECKER are found in the New Forest National Park. These are the great spotted, the lesser spotted and the green woodpecker. The largest of the 3 is the green woodpecker and it can be frequently seen on the ground, as they are quite partial to ants. Its pecking or drumming isn't as loud as the other two species as it relies on its laughing-like call to warn other woodpeckers of its territory. The great spotted drums louder than the green woodpecker and its diet consists mainly of insects, wood boring larvae, fruit, nuts and seeds. The lesser spotted is the smallest and least common of the 3 species, yet it often drums louder than the larger green woodpecker. Its diet consists mainly of insects and wood boring larvae.
The REDSTART is a small seasonal migratory bird, similar in size to robins but they have longer tails. Its preferred habitat is woodland and heathland, although they will breed almost anywhere. The redstart belongs to the thrush family and they mainly feed on insects, spiders, worms and berries.
