The United Kingdom is an archipelago with an impoverished land fauna, the consequence of millennia of deforestation and the early loss of its large carnivores, but extraordinarily rich along the coast. Its cliffs and islands hold seabird colonies of global importance: gannets, puffins, guillemots and skuas gather in summer in Scotland, Wales and the islands of the North Atlantic. Inland, heather moorland, Highland grassland, relict Caledonian pine forest and the wetlands of the Broads and the Fens dominate. The Scottish wildcat is on the brink of extinction and the red squirrel is losing ground to the North American grey squirrel, while the beaver, the red kite and the white-tailed eagle have returned through reintroduction. The waters of the Hebrides and Shetland bring together orcas, white-beaked dolphins and basking sharks in summer.
Nature in the United Kingdom
National animal: The lion is the emblem of England and the unicorn that of Scotland; the European robin was voted Britain's national bird
Did you know?
Bass Rock, a volcanic stack off the east coast of Scotland, holds one of the largest northern gannet colonies in the world, with of the order of 150,000 birds packed onto a few hectares. The link is so close that the species carries the name of the place in its scientific name, Morus bassanus, and the rock can be seen turning white from the shore.
Biodiversity profile
Conservation
The Scottish wildcat is in a critical situation because of hybridisation with domestic cats, and a reinforcement programme using captive-bred animals has begun. In parallel, the country leads large-scale rewilding projects such as Knepp.
Where and when to watch wildlife
Seabird colonies between May and July on the Farne Islands, Bass Rock and Skomer. The Cairngorms in September and October for the red deer rut. The Hebrides in summer for basking sharks and orcas.
Natural phenomena in the United Kingdom
Grey seal pupping at Donna Nook — Late October to December (peak in late November)
Red deer rut in Scotland — September to November (peak late Sep-Oct)
Puffin colonies in Scotland and Iceland — April to August (peak May-July)
Starling murmurations in the United Kingdom — October to March (peak Nov-Jan)
Northern gannet colony on Bass Rock — Late February to October (peak Jun-Aug)
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
