South Downs National Park

National Park · United Kingdom

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Photo © kallerna

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

Chalk downland ridges rise and fall across the South Downs, their open grasslands and beech hangers creating a mosaic of habitats that has shaped human settlement and land management for millennia. The landscape rolls inland from the Sussex coast near Chichester, a patchwork of windswept hilltops, steep-sided valleys, and ancient woodland where flint-rich soils support a distinctive flora—orchids, vetches, and chalk-loving herbs—that sustains the insects, birds, and small mammals dependent on these ecological niches. Raptors work the thermals above the ridges, while the woodlands harbor songbirds and woodland specialists; the open slopes welcome migrant warblers in spring and autumn, and ground-nesting species favor the more open terrain. This is working countryside, where sheep grazing and mixed farming have maintained the open character that prevents scrub encroachment and keeps the mosaic dynamic, supporting everything from invertebrates that thrive in ancient meadows to the predatory birds that hunt them.

For naturalists drawn to the British countryside at its most productive, the South Downs offers year-round engagement with a genuinely wild landscape that requires no wilderness pretense—here, nature's abundance lives alongside human stewardship. Spring brings a surge of breeding activity across the open slopes and returning migrants through the woodlands; summer light on chalk grassland at dawn or dusk reveals the true richness of the habitat. Autumn migrations concentrate birds and insects along the ridgelines, while winter draws in visitors seeking raptors and the stark beauty of bare chalk. Access is exceptional: the South Downs Way runs the entire length of the park, offering unbroken walking through prime habitat, while numerous valley trails penetrate deeper into the beech woodlands. Photographers prize the long views, the quality of light across rolling terrain, and the seasonal predictability of wildlife activity—this is a landscape where patience and local knowledge reward the observer with repeated, authentic encounters with how Britain's natural heritage persists.

Website southdowns.gov.uk

Short-eared Owl

Erithacus rubecula

Common Wood Pigeon

Columba palumbus

Anas platyrhynchos

Eurasian Blue Tit

Cyanistes caeruleus

European Stonechat

Saxicola rubicola

Falco tinnunculus

Western Jackdaw

Coloeus monedula

Eurasian Chaffinch

Fringilla coelebs

Prunella modularis

Corvus frugilegus

Eurasian Magpie

Passer domesticus

Egretta garzetta

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Dendrocopos major

Troglodytes troglodytes

Long-tailed Tit

Aegithalos caudatus

Common Starling

Sturnus vulgaris

Eurasian Nuthatch

Alopochen aegyptiaca

Anthus pratensis

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo

Aix galericulata

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaocto

European Green Woodpecker

Garrulus glandarius

Motacilla cinerea

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Accipiter nisus

Regulus regulus

Eurasian Oystercatcher

Haematopus ostralegus

Gallinago gallinago

Tachybaptus ruficollis

European Rock Pipit

Anthus petrosus

Northern Pintail

White-tailed Eagle

Haliaeetus albicilla

Great Black-backed Gull

Cairina moschata

Eurasian Treecreeper

Certhia familiaris

Red-legged Partridge

Western Barn Owl

Poecile palustris

Branta canadensis

Aythya fuligula

Common Blackbird

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeata

European Goldfinch

Carduelis carduelis

Gallinula chloropus

Northern Lapwing

Vanellus vanellus

Lullula arborea

Riparia riparia

Common Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus scirpaceus

Calidris alpina

Common Whitethroat

Curruca communis

Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

Phylloscopus trochilus

Common Redstart

Phoenicurus phoenicurus

Turdus philomelos

Eurasian Bullfinch

Pyrrhula pyrrhula

Eurasian Skylark

Alauda arvensis

Linaria cannabina

Northern Wheatear

Oenanthe oenanthe

Hirundo rustica

Western House Martin

Delichon urbicum

Saxicola rubetra

Common Chiffchaff

Phylloscopus collybita

Black-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus ridibundus

Emberiza calandra

Anthus trivialis

Dartford Warbler

Emberiza citrinella

Eurasian Blackcap

Sylvia atricapilla

European Greenfinch

Chloris chloris

Northern Fulmar

Fulmarus glacialis

Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelope

Common Shelduck

Tadorna tadorna

Common Nightingale

Luscinia megarhynchos

Cuculus canorus

Spotted Flycatcher

Muscicapa striata

Turdus viscivorus

Mareca strepera

Common Firecrest

Regulus ignicapilla

Common Reed Bunting

Emberiza schoeniclus

Common Redshank

Common Kingfisher

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Western Cattle Egret

Lesser Whitethroat

Curruca curruca

Black-tailed Godwit

Western Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla flava

Recurvirostra avosetta

Eurasian Siskin

Lesser Black-backed Gull

Western Marsh Harrier

Circus aeruginosus

Cetti's Warbler

Common Greenshank

Tringa nebularia

Calidris pugnax

Great Crested Grebe

Podiceps cristatus

Branta leucopsis

Tadorna ferruginea

Common Merganser

Mergus merganser

Helmeted Guineafowl

Numida meleagris

European Nightjar

Caprimulgus europaeus

Rallus aquaticus

American Golden Plover

Pluvialis dominica

Eurasian Dotterel

Eudromias morinellus

Common Ringed Plover

Charadrius hiaticula

Eurasian Curlew

Numenius arquata

Bar-tailed Godwit

Limosa lapponica

Phalaropus fulicarius

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropus

Ruddy Turnstone

Arenaria interpres

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferruginea

Mediterranean Gull

Ichthyaetus melanocephalus

Ciconia ciconia

Eurasian Spoonbill

Platalea leucorodia

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Psittacula krameri

Common Grasshopper Warbler

Locustella naevia

Turdus torquatus

Turdus migratorius

European Pied Flycatcher

Ficedula hypoleuca

Coccothraustes coccothraustes

Loxia curvirostra

Acanthis flammea

Branta bernicla

Red-breasted Goose

Branta ruficollis

Branta hutchinsii

Bar-headed Goose

Anser caerulescens

Pink-footed Goose

Anser brachyrhynchus

Tundra Bean Goose

Anser serrirostris

Greater White-fronted Goose

Anser albifrons

Cygnus columbianus

Spatula querquedula

American Wigeon

Mareca americana

Red-crested Pochard

Somateria mollissima

Melanitta fusca

Melanitta nigra

Long-tailed Duck

Clangula hyemalis

Common Goldeneye

Bucephala clangula

Mergellus albellus

Red-breasted Merganser

Mergus serrator

Oxyura jamaicensis

Golden Pheasant

Chrysolophus pictus

Coturnix coturnix

Tachymarptis melba

European Turtle Dove

Streptopelia turtur

Porzana porzana

Podiceps auritus

Black-necked Grebe

Podiceps nigricollis

Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus

Pluvialis squatarola

European Golden Plover

Pluvialis apricaria

Anarhynchus alexandrinus

Eurasian Whimbrel

Numenius phaeopus

Long-billed Dowitcher

Limnodromus scolopaceus

Lymnocryptes minimus

Eurasian Woodcock

Scolopax rusticola

Red-necked Phalarope

Phalaropus lobatus

Tringa glareola

Spotted Redshank

Tringa erythropus

Calidris canutus

Temminck's Stint

Calidris temminckii

Purple Sandpiper

Calidris maritima

Baird's Sandpiper

Calidris bairdii

Calidris minuta

White-rumped Sandpiper

Calidris fuscicollis

Pectoral Sandpiper

Calidris melanotos

Sternula albifrons

Chlidonias niger

White-winged Tern

Chlidonias leucopterus

Sterna paradisaea

Sterna dougallii

Thalasseus sandvicensis

Hydrocoloeus minutus

Black-legged Kittiwake

Rissa tridactyla

Larus cachinnans

Yellow-legged Gull

Larus michahellis

Larus hyperboreus

Larus glaucoides

Long-tailed Jaeger

Stercorarius longicaudus

Parasitic Jaeger

Stercorarius parasiticus

Pomarine Jaeger

Stercorarius pomarinus

Stercorarius skua

Atlantic Puffin

Fratercula arctica

Red-throated Loon

Black-throated Loon

European Storm Petrel

Hydrobates pelagicus

Leach's Storm Petrel

Hydrobates leucorhous

Sooty Shearwater

Manx Shearwater

Puffinus puffinus

Balearic Shearwater

Puffinus mauretanicus

Northern Gannet

Gulosus aristotelis

Plegadis falcinellus

Eurasian Bittern

Botaurus stellaris

Black-crowned Night Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

Pandion haliaetus

Bearded Vulture

Gypaetus barbatus

European Honey Buzzard

Pernis apivorus

Circus macrourus

Parabuteo unicinctus

Rough-legged Buzzard

European Bee-eater

Merops apiaster

Eurasian Wryneck

Red-footed Falcon

Falco vespertinus

Falco columbarius

Eurasian Golden Oriole

Oriolus oriolus

Great Grey Shrike

Lanius excubitor

Lesser Grey Shrike

Woodchat Shrike

Red-backed Shrike

Lanius collurio

Bohemian Waxwing

Bombycilla garrulus

Poecile montanus

Bearded Reedling

Panurus biarmicus

Greater Short-toed Lark

Calandrella brachydactyla

Hume's Leaf Warbler

Phylloscopus humei

Yellow-browed Warbler

Phylloscopus inornatus

Pallas's Leaf Warbler

Phylloscopus proregulus

Radde's Warbler

Phylloscopus schwarzi

Blyth's Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus dumetorum

Melodious Warbler

Hippolais polyglotta

Curruca nisoria

Eastern Subalpine Warbler

Curruca cantillans

Short-toed Treecreeper

Certhia brachydactyla

Northern Mockingbird

Mimus polyglottos

Red-breasted Flycatcher

Phoenicurus ochruros

Blue Rock Thrush

Monticola solitarius

Desert Wheatear

Oenanthe deserti

Oenanthe pleschanka

Eurasian Tree Sparrow

Passer montanus

Richard's Pipit

Anthus richardi

Anthus campestris

Anthus spinoletta

Fringilla montifringilla

Common Rosefinch

Carpodacus erythrinus

Linaria flavirostris

Serinus serinus

Lapland Longspur

Calcarius lapponicus

Plectrophenax nivalis

Emberiza pusilla

White-crowned Sparrow

Zonotrichia leucophrys

White-throated Sparrow

Zonotrichia albicollis

Hooded Merganser

Lophodytes cucullatus

Spotted Sandpiper

Actitis macularius

Ardeola ralloides

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

Dryobates minor

Isabelline Shrike

Lanius isabellinus

Emberiza cirlus

Parrot Crossbill

Loxia pytyopsittacus

Western Red Deer

Eastern Gray Squirrel

Sciurus carolinensis

Reeves's Muntjac

Muntiacus reevesi

Rattus norvegicus

Natterer's Myotis

Myotis nattereri

Short-tailed Field Vole

Microtus agrestis

Western Roe Deer

Capreolus capreolus

West European Hedgehog

Erinaceus europaeus

European Polecat

Mustela putorius

Eurasian Water Vole

Arvicola amphibius

European Badger

Long-tailed Field Mouse

Apodemus sylvaticus

European Rabbit

Oryctolagus cuniculus

Common Fallow Deer

Lepus europaeus

Mustela erminea

Mustela nivalis

Muscardinus avellanarius

Eurasian Harvest Mouse

Micromys minutus

Brown Long-eared Bat

Plecotus auritus

Eurasian Pygmy Shrew

Common Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus pipistrellus

Halichoerus grypus

Eurasian Red Squirrel

Sciurus vulgaris

Eurasian Beaver

Yellow-necked Field Mouse

Apodemus flavicollis

Bechstein's Myotis

Myotis bechsteinii

Daubenton's Myotis

Myotis daubentonii

Common Whiskered Myotis

Myotis mystacinus

Leisler's Noctule

Nyctalus leisleri

Nyctalus noctula

Nathusius's Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus nathusii

Soprano Pipistrelle

Pipistrellus pygmaeus

Western Barbastelle

Barbastella barbastellus

Greater Horseshoe Bat

Rhinolophus ferrumequinum

Alcathoe Whiskered Myotis

Myotis alcathoe

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