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World atlas

De Loonse en Drunense Duinen National Park

National Park · Netherlands

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Photo © LucT

Photo © LucT — CC BY-SA 4.0 — Source: Wikimedia Commons

ABOUT

Where wind-sculpted dunes rise abruptly from the flat North Brabant landscape, De Loonse en Drunense Duinen National Park preserves one of the Netherlands' most unexpected wilderness expanses. These pale sandy ridges, stabilised by pioneering heathland vegetation and sparse pine woodland, form a dynamic mosaic shaped by centuries of human land use followed by restoration. The park's temperate oceanic climate—characterised by reliable year-round moisture and mild winters—sustains a patchwork of habitats: acid heath dominated by low-growing shrubs, open sandy plains where specialised plants cling to nutrient-poor substrates, and recovering woodlands where native broadleaves gradually replace earlier plantations. This ecological heterogeneity supports small forest mammals, ground-nesting birds adapted to open and semi-open terrain, and raptors that patrol the mosaic for prey. The exposed dunes themselves remain partially bare, creating stark contrasts that shift with the seasons as vegetation cycles through dormancy and growth across the temperate calendar.

For naturalists seeking authentic northern European lowland ecology, the park rewards both patient observation and energetic exploration. Wildlife enthusiasts will find genuine rewards in watching birds of prey hunt over open heathland and in tracking the movements of small mammals through the transitional zones between cleared and forested ground. The pale sand and low vegetation create exceptional light conditions during the golden hours of dawn and dusk, particularly in autumn and spring when the park's character transforms most dramatically. Access is straightforward from Drunen itself, and the park's network of paths allows visitors to sample contrasting habitats within a single morning or afternoon. This is not a showpiece of dramatic rarity, but rather an honest portrait of how degraded lowland heath regenerates and how wilderness returns to industrialised terrain—a story that resonates far beyond the Netherlands.

WILDLIFE

Type

Eurasian Spoonbill

Platalea leucorodia

White-tailed Eagle

Haliaeetus albicilla

Recurvirostra avosetta

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Haematopus ostralegus

Northern Lapwing

Vanellus vanellus

Branta canadensis

Alopochen aegyptiaca

Aix galericulata

Mareca strepera

Anas platyrhynchos

Aythya fuligula

European Nightjar

Caprimulgus europaeus

Cuculus canorus

Common Wood Pigeon

Columba palumbus

Porzana porzana

Gallinula chloropus

Great Crested Grebe

Podiceps cristatus

Gallinago gallinago

Black-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus ridibundus

European Herring Gull

Larus argentatus

Ciconia ciconia

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo

Common Kingfisher

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Dryobates minor

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos major

Black Woodpecker

Dryocopus martius

Falco tinnunculus

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Eurasian Golden Oriole

Oriolus oriolus

Great Grey Shrike

Lanius excubitor

Red-backed Shrike

Lanius collurio

Garrulus glandarius

Eurasian Magpie

Western Jackdaw

Coloeus monedula

Lophophanes cristatus

Eurasian Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

Bearded Reedling

Panurus biarmicus

Lullula arborea

Hirundo rustica

Cetti's Warbler

Long-tailed Tit

Aegithalos caudatus

Common Chiffchaff

Phylloscopus collybita

Locustella fluviatilis

Eurasian Blackcap

Sylvia atricapilla

Common Whitethroat

Curruca communis

Common Firecrest

Regulus ignicapilla

Regulus regulus

Troglodytes troglodytes

Eurasian Nuthatch

Short-toed Treecreeper

Certhia brachydactyla

Common Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Turdus philomelos

Common Blackbird

Spotted Flycatcher

Muscicapa striata

Erithacus rubecula

Luscinia svecica

European Pied Flycatcher

Ficedula hypoleuca

Common Redstart

Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Saxicola rubetra

European Stonechat

Saxicola rubicola

Northern Wheatear

Oenanthe oenanthe

Passer domesticus

Prunella modularis

Anthus trivialis

Eurasian Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebs

Coccothraustes coccothraustes

Loxia curvirostra

Eurasian Siskin

Common Reed Bunting

Emberiza schoeniclus

Greater White-fronted Goose

Anser albifrons

Spatula querquedula

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeata

Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelope

Common Merganser

Mergus merganser

Common Pheasant

Phasianus colchicus

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaocto

Rallus aquaticus

Tachybaptus ruficollis

Eurasian Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopus

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticola

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropus

Common Greenshank

Tringa nebularia

Yellow-legged Gull

Larus michahellis

Great Black-backed Gull

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Eurasian Bittern

Botaurus stellaris

Egretta garzetta

European Honey Buzzard

Pernis apivorus

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisus

Western Marsh Harrier

Circus aeruginosus

Middle Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocoptes medius

European Green Woodpecker

Corvus frugilegus

Poecile montanus

Eurasian Skylark

Alauda arvensis

Riparia riparia

Western House Martin

Delichon urbicum

Phylloscopus trochilus

Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

Common Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus scirpaceus

Acrocephalus palustris

Icterine Warbler

Hippolais icterina

Locustella luscinioides

Common Grasshopper Warbler

Locustella naevia

Turdus viscivorus

Turdus torquatus

Phoenicurus ochruros

Western Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla flava

Motacilla cinerea

Anthus pratensis

Eurasian Bullfinch

Pyrrhula pyrrhula

European Greenfinch

Chloris chloris

Linaria cannabina

Acanthis flammea

European Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelis

Ortolan Bunting

Emberiza hortulana

Branta bernicla

Red-breasted Goose

Branta ruficollis

Branta leucopsis

Bar-headed Goose

Anser caerulescens

Pink-footed Goose

Anser brachyrhynchus

Tundra Bean Goose

Anser serrirostris

Lesser White-fronted Goose

Anser erythropus

Cygnus columbianus

Common Shelduck

Tadorna tadorna

Tadorna ferruginea

Mareca sibilatrix

Northern Pintail

Red-crested Pochard

Ferruginous Duck

Common Goldeneye

Bucephala clangula

Mergellus albellus

Red-breasted Merganser

Mergus serrator

Coturnix coturnix

European Turtle Dove

Streptopelia turtur

Geopelia cuneata

Red-necked Grebe

Podiceps grisegena

Black-necked Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus

Pluvialis squatarola

European Golden Plover

Pluvialis apricaria

Common Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticula

Eurasian Curlew

Numenius arquata

Bar-tailed Godwit

Limosa lapponica

Lymnocryptes minimus

Tringa glareola

Common Redshank

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropus

Ruddy Turnstone

Arenaria interpres

Calidris pugnax

Temminck's Stint

Calidris temminckii

Calidris alpina

Calidris minuta

Chlidonias hybrida

Chlidonias niger

Mediterranean Gull

Ichthyaetus melanocephalus

Larus cachinnans

Plegadis falcinellus

Pandion haliaetus

Montagu's Harrier

Circus pygargus

Western Barn Owl

Short-eared Owl

Eurasian Eagle-Owl

Eurasian Wryneck

Red-footed Falcon

Falco vespertinus

Falco columbarius

Melopsittacus undulatus

Bohemian Waxwing

Bombycilla garrulus

Melodious Warbler

Hippolais polyglotta

Common Nightingale

Luscinia megarhynchos

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Passer montanus

Richard's Pipit

Anthus richardi

Anthus spinoletta

Fringilla montifringilla

Anser cygnoides

Cairina moschata

Eurasian Red Squirrel

Sciurus vulgaris

Rattus norvegicus

West European Hedgehog

Erinaceus europaeus

Western Roe Deer

Capreolus capreolus

European Badger

Lepus europaeus

European Rabbit

Oryctolagus cuniculus

Eurasian Beaver

Microtus arvalis

Clethrionomys glareolus

Ondatra zibethicus

Long-tailed Field Mouse

Apodemus sylvaticus

Eurasian Harvest Mouse

Micromys minutus

Greater White-toothed Shrew

Crocidura russula

Nyctalus noctula

Nathusius's Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus nathusii

Common Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus pipistrellus

European Pine Marten

Mustela erminea

Mustela nivalis

Common Fallow Deer

Eurasian Wild Boar

View Complete List (236 more) →

COMMUNITY

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Natural environment

De Loonse en Drunense Duinen National Park

Generally mild conditions, with noticeable seasonal changes.

Usual climateHumid temperate with mild summersLowland

Average annual temperature 10.3 °C Average of the twelve monthly means

Average elevation 5 m Lowland

Climate pattern Humid temperate with mild summers Main environment around this hotspot

A year of temperatures

Monthly means, with the coldest and warmest highlighted

Monthly minimum · January 3.2 °C Monthly maximum · July 18.2 °C

Global temperature scale

−40°−20°0°20°40°

Terrain and elevation

5 m · Lowland

Average terrain elevation estimate across the hotspot; the figure does not represent its highest summits.

Elevation scale

5 m

02,0004,0006,0008,000m

Lowland

Long-term climate averages, not live weather.

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