Birds of grazed moors, heaths and rough grasslands

Habitat 

Around 9,000 pairs of Dunlin spend the winter in Europe and north Africa and come to the UK to breed in the spring, usually on upland moors and bogs. They are an important indicator species for the quality of upland bogs. Dartmoor has 20-25 breeding pairs, the world’s most southerly breeding population and the only population in Devon. 

Population 

The UK’s breeding population of Dunlins has seen a severe decline and they’re on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Red list. The decline is due to a loss of and fall in the health of peat bogs caused by drainage and changing rainfall patterns. Drier peatlands support fewer soil invertebrates such as the cranefly larvae that Dunlins feed on.

The University of Exeter estimates that just 1% of Dartmoor’s deep peat area is healthy, peat-forming bog. The majority has been severely damaged by drainage, cutting, drying and erosion. However, recent blanket bog restoration on Dartmoor has seen Dunlin numbers increase in areas such as Winney’s Down and Cowsic Head. 

Habitat 

Snipe are a widespread breeding species in the UK, and our resident population is supplemented by birds that migrate from northern Europe in winter. They’re found in particularly high numbers on northern uplands.  

Snipe live in marshes, wet grassland and moorlands, where they nest in simple scrapes they create in tussocky vegetation that’s generally 10-30 cm tall. They feed mainly on earthworms, leatherjackets, beetles and caterpillars. During the breeding season, males can be heard making a unique drumming sound as they vibrate their tail feathers during aerial courtship displays. 

Population 

Snipe’s UK range declined by 32% between 1970 and 2010 and they’re on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Amber list. The main reason for their decline is loss of habitat due to drainage.   

In Devon, Snipe are now mainly found breeding in the wet, valley mires on Exmoor and Dartmoor. Dartmoor has around 200 pairs, the largest breeding population in southern England. 22 breeding Snipe were recorded on Exmoor in 2014 and 55 in 2024.    

Snipe is a great flagship species for wetlands and as such is a Devon Special Species. 

Habitat 

Curlews are the largest European wading bird, feeding on estuaries in winter and breeding on rough grassland, moorland and bog in summer. They nest in scrapes on the ground between tall tussocks of grasses to protect them from predators. Adults and chicks feed on worms, caterpillars and other invertebrates found in rough, damp pastures.    

Population 

Their breeding population has suffered a severe decline and they’re now increasingly concentrated in northern Britain. They’re on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Red list and the UK breeding population is of international importance. Declines are due to loss of habitat, particularly draining and reseeding of wet grasslands. As their numbers decline they become more vulnerable to predation, especially by foxes which take eggs, chicks and adult birds. 

Curlews once bred across Devon’s heathlands and in rough, wet grasslands such as the north Devon Culm. However, the breeding population has declined by 85% since 1985. There are now only 1-3 pairs of Curlew that attempt to breed on Dartmoor’s damp valley mires, and few, if any, of the chicks survive.  

A Curlew project has been rearing and releasing birds on Dartmoor since 2021. See Inspiration below for more information.  

Habitat 

Whinchats are summer visitors that breed in invertebrate-rich moorlands and species-rich grasslands. They nest on or near the ground and like mosaics of tussocky grasses, bracken, heathland shrubs (such as Bilberry and heathers) and a scattering of scrub and small trees to perch on.   

Population 

In the UK Whinchats are increasingly confined to the uplands after their breeding population declined by 60% between 1995 and 2022, mirroring the trend across southwest Europe. They’re on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Red list.  

In Devon their range fell from 187 to 90 tetradsAn area of land 2km x 2km square. between the 1977-85 and 2007-13 Bird Atlas periods. Breeding Whinchats are now almost all confined to steep-sided valleys on Dartmoor and Exmoor, although they were previously also recorded scattered across the Culm and heaths of north and east Devon. In 2022, 164 known nesting sites were re-visited. The birds were present in 60 and absent in 104, representing a 63% reduction since 1979. The long-term vision is for Whinchats to be found across Devon again.  However in the short term the priority is to maintain and increase the upland populations. 

Dartmoor and Exmoor (along with Salisbury Plain) now support the only significant breeding populations of Whinchats in southern England. 

Habitat 

Cuckoos are summer visitors to the UK from Africa, arriving in late April. Females lay their eggs in other birds’ nests, especially Meadow Pipits, Dunnocks and Reed Warblers. They  remove one of the host bird’s eggs and lay their own in its place. As their young are raised by other birds, adults are free to leave in June.  

Population 

Cuckoos were once widespread but the UK population has declined by 70% over the last 20 years and they are on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Red list. The Cuckoo is one of the fastest-declining species in Devon, with their range falling from 78.9% of tetrads in 1988 to 20% in 2016. They’re now only known to breed on Dartmoor, where they lay eggs in Meadow Pipit nests (see below for Meadow Pipit details).  

The reasons for their rapid decline are not fully understood and the University of Exeter, British Trust for Ornithology and the RSPB are researching Dartmoor’s Cuckoos. Possible causes are a reduction in caterpillars (an important part of their diet), fewer Meadow Pipits in lowland Devon and habitat loss on migration routes. 

Meadow Pipits nest on the ground in dense vegetation on moorland, heathland and rough grasslands.  They feed largely on invertebrates in the summer (moths, beetles, flies and spiders) and seeds and berries in the autumn. Most are here all year. 

Meadow Pipits are still widespread across the UK but have declined significantly in distribution and abundance and are on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Amber list. The reasons for their decline are not fully understood but may be linked to a general decline in invertebrates due to habitat loss and climate change.  

Meadow Pipits are still common on Dartmoor but their range across Devon has declined from 44% of tetrads in 1988 to 25% in 2016. They’re listed as a Devon Special Species because of their huge decline in lowland Devon and as an increase in Cuckoos depends on a healthy Meadow Pipit population.  

Habitat 

Grasshopper Warblers are summer migrant visitors to the UK from Africa. They’re found in wet meadows with dense grassland vegetation, which provides cover, and scattered scrub. They eat a wide range of insects including flies, moths, caterpillars, beetles and spiders.  

Population 

From the 1960s Grasshopper Warblers suffered a dramatic decline in population and range (especially in southern and central England) and they’re on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Red list. Declines are likely to be due to loss of wetland habitats.   

In Devon, Grasshopper Warblers were found in 13% of tetrads in 1988. Although they’ve declined in many areas, they’re thought to be stable or even increasing on parts of Dartmoor. They’re also found in wet grassland areas on Exmoor, Torridge and in grasslands on both coasts.   

Habitat 

Kestrels can be found across the UK. They favour open habitats with a supply of Field Voles, such as rough grassland and heathland. They also eat mice, shrews, small birds and sometimes worms and insects. They nest in natural cavities in trees and nests abandoned by other species. They’re easy to identify due to their ability to hover motionless over fields while stalking their prey. 

Population 

The UK’s Kestrel population has fallen by half since 1970 and they’re on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Amber list. The decline is thought to be due to loss of rough grasslands which can support Field Voles, due to secondary poisoning from eating voles and mice that have eaten poison meant for rats, and due to loss of nesting sites such as old trees with cavities. 

Habitat 

Tree Pipits are a long-distance summer migrant to the UK, arriving in April. They’re a ground-nesting species, found in heathland, rough grassland, young deciduous and conifer plantations, parkland and wood pasture where they use isolated trees as singing posts. They mainly eat small invertebrates, particularly beetles, but will eat berries and seeds. 

Population 

The population has declined dramatically over recent decades and the species is on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Red list. It’s not known why but reasons may include disturbance to nests, lack of open woody habitat and issues relating to migration or wintering grounds.  

In Devon Tree Pipits mostly occur around Dartmoor and Exmoor with scattered pairs on heathlands and Culm grasslands. Between 1988 and 2016 their range reduced from 36% of tetrads to just 13%. 

Another summer visitor to the UK, Nightjars are ground-nesting birds found on undisturbed heathlands that have occasional taller trees and lots of invertebrates. They will also nest in open areas in woodlands created by clear felling. They’re nocturnal, catching food such as moths, flies and beetles on the wing.    

Nightjars were once much more widely distributed but as heathland has been lost their numbers have declined. In recent decades their population and range has increased. This is thought to be due to heathland restoration as well as the creation of open nesting habitat through clear felling areas of conifer plantation. However, they’re still of national conservation concern and are on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Amber list.  

Devon’s Nightjar population appears to be stable or increasing, with much of the increase thought to come from woodland clear fell areas. Heathland and forestry plantations on Dartmoor and Exmoor and in Haldon Forest all support nationally important populations. Nightjars are also a qualifying feature of the Pebblebed Heaths SACSpecial Area of Conservation. However, Nightjar is listed as a Devon Special Species as the Devon population remains vulnerable to changes in forestry management, loss of insects and potentially an increase in recreational disturbance.   

Habitat 

A ground-nesting, resident species, Dartford Warblers are specialists of lowland heathlands and coastal scrub and heath. They like a mosaic of tall and shorter scrub and will often nest in dense stands of gorse that provide important shelter in cold winters. They mainly eat small invertebrates. 

Population 

Dartford Warblers have come back from the brink of extinction over the last 50 years and are now restricted to the south and east of the UK. Their European range is moving north and in the future the UK may hold a significant proportion of the global population. They’re on the UK Birds of Conservation Concern Amber list. 

In Devon, they are found on the Pebblebed Heaths, Haldon heaths, Dartmoor and Exmoor edges and coastal areas, especially the south coast between Stoke Point and Plymouth and the north Devon coast. Devon’s population of Dartford Warblers increased dramatically in the 1990s to over 250 pairs. It subsequently fell, in part due to significant declines on Dartmoor linked to poor weather in 2009 and 2010, but it’s likely that the population is increasing again. Recent surveys on Exmoor show numbers grew from just 25 in 2014 (down from 209 in 2008) to 175 in 2024.  

While the population has increased, this is from very low levels. Dartford Warblers are a Devon Special Species as they remain vulnerable and in need of attention.