Birds

Birds of Prey

Among the most iconic and awe-inspiring inhabitants of the Isle of Man’s uplands are the birds of prey, or raptors. These skilled hunters play a vital role in the Island’s ecosystem, helping to maintain balance by controlling populations of small mammals and birds.

Species such as the hen harrier, peregrine falcon, and buzzard are regularly seen soaring over the uplands, each with its own distinctive flight pattern, hunting technique, and ecological niche. The Isle of Man is particularly significant for the hen harrier, which successfully breeds in the uplands on the ground, and is a species of conservation concern across the British Isles. Observing these birds in their natural habitat offers a glimpse into the wild heart of the island.

Buzzard - A familiar sight on the Island, the buzzard has made a strong recovery after years of persecution. It soars over farmland, plantations, and heathland, often nesting in the forks of large tree and perching on plantation edges. With broader wings than a harrier and distinctive white-banded underwings, it’s easily spotted circling at high altitudes.

Kestrel - A skilled hunter, often seen hovering. The kestrel can keep its head still while it hovers, even in high winds. Males have a grey head, speckled white underside and coppery-brown back. Females have dark bands on their tail, with a brown head and back.

Peregrine Falcon - Found nesting on steep cliff edges and more recently taking a liking to tall town structures. The peregrine is the biggest an fastest falcon, dark grey back and white underside, fan shaped tail and white cheeks. When diving down on prey from great heights they often reach 200 miles per hour.

Short-eared owl -Often found hunting low over heathland and grasslands during the day time. They nest on the ground in the uplands.

Long-eared owl - This shy, nocturnal beauty sports large 'ear-tufts' on its head. They can be found in our upland coniferous plantations and mixed woodlands, often in communal roosts. Look out for those big orange-red eyes.

Sparrowhawk - Can be found in a large range of habitats, hunting small birds such as pipits and sparrows. Both male and females have reddish cheeks, but females are 25% bigger than their male counterparts, with browner plumage and grey chest bars.

Barn Owl - this stunning bird is distinguished by its heart-shaped face and pure white feathers. Often seen hunting at dawn and dusk, they hunt rodents hidden in vegetation with their stealthy, silent flight.

Merlin - Europe's smallest falcon, not much larger than a blackbird. They are regular migrants and overwinter on the Isle of Man

Hen Harrier - This bird is Amber listed under the Birds of Conservation Concern in the Isle of Man, as our uplands have provided them with undisturbed, good condition habitat for nesting on the ground and hunting year round. Females are known as 'ringtails' due to their distinctive tail banding. Males are blue-grey, with a white rump and black wing tips.

Eurasian Curlew

The Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) is one of the most distinctive and evocative birds found in the uplands of the Isle of Man. Known for its long, down-curved bill and haunting, bubbling call, the curlew is a symbol of wild, open landscapes and is especially associated with moorland and rough grassland habitats.

Curlews are ground-nesting birds, laying their eggs in shallow scrapes. Their chicks are precocial, meaning they leave the nest soon after hatching and rely on camouflage and parental vigilance for protection. However, curlews have suffered significant declines due to habitat loss, changes in land use, and increased predation. The Isle of Man remains an important stronghold, and local conservation efforts aim to monitor and protect known breeding sites.

Smaller upland birds

Peatlands, especially blanket bogs and wet heath, provide essential breeding and foraging grounds for many small upland birds. These birds rely on the open, undisturbed nature of peatlands, where they can nest on the ground or in low vegetation. The structure of many the Isle of Man’s uplands—with tussocks, mosses, and heather—offers both cover and nesting material.

The Manx Peatland Partnership’s restoration work supports invertebrate diversity across the Isle of Man. Species like Cranefly larvae are particularly important to chicks. Other invertebrates such as spiders, beetles, moths and caterpillars also provide critical food sources for adults, especially during the breeding season, they must feed themselves to sustain round-the-clock care for their young. This boost in invertebrate life indirectly benefits smaller resident and migratory birds by increasing food availability.

Smaller upland birds are sensitive to changes in hydrology, vegetation, and disturbance. Their presence and abundance can indicate the ecological condition of the Isle of Man’s upland ecosystems. The Manx Peat Partnership carries out restoration work to re-wet areas, increasing the resilience of our uplands to both flooding and drought. We also create wet scrapes, which are shallow seasonal or permanently wet depressions that support any array of invertebrates, amphibians and larvae for birds to feed on, improving habitat structure and food availability during droughts.

Skylark - (Alauda arvensis) is one of the most iconic and uplifting birds of the Isle of Man’s uplands, known for its beautiful, cascading song delivered in flight high above open moorland. This bird is slightly larger than a sparrow, with a streaky brown body and a pale belly, and a small crest that it can raise or flatten.

Meadow Pipit - The Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) is one of the most widespread and characteristic birds of the uplands on the Isle of Man. Though often overlooked due to its modest appearance, being small and slender but it plays a vital role in the upland ecosystem.

Stonechat - The Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) is a small, striking bird that adds a splash of colour and character to the uplands of the Isle of Man. It’s a year-round resident and a familiar sight perched on gorse, heather, or fence posts, especially in open, scrubby areas. They are territorial and often seen in pairs, especially during the breeding season.

Male Wheatear - Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) is a charming and distinctive summer visitor to the uplands of the Isle of Man. Despite its name, it’s not related to wheat or ears—it’s thought to derive from an old English phrase meaning “white arse,” a nod to the bird’s striking white rump, which is especially visible in flight. Wheatears favour upland pastures, often seen flitting among rocks or perching on fence posts. They breed in burrows, stone walls, or crevices, making the Manx uplands ideal with their mix of rough grassland and scattered boulders.

Lapwing - (Vanellus vanellus), known for due its distinctive "peewit " call, is a striking and charismatic bird. Glossy green-black upperparts, white belly, and a wispy crest. In flight, its broad, rounded wings and slow, flappy flight are unmistakable. They are highly defensive of their nests, often mobbing predators or intruders.

Golden Plover - (Pluvialis apricaria) look out for this bird in the Manx hills from May to September, moving to lowland fields in the winter. As their name indicates, they have a golden-spotted back with a bold black face and underside outlined by white.

Snipe - (Gallinago gallinago) is a secretive and excellently camouflaged wader that thrives in wet upland habitats, especially peatlands and boggy moorland areas like those found on the Isle of Man. This medium sized wader, is compact with short legs. They love recently restored peatland areas, with flushes and bog pools. When flushed they call and fly high quickly in a zigzagging pattern.

Jack Snipe - Smaller than the Common snipe, about starling sized. Their bill is also shorter and straighter in comparison. They flush much quicker than common snipe, flying low to the ground for a short distance before landing and running for cover immediately. Jack snipe are notable for its bobbing motion when feeding—like it's on springs!

Woodcock - (Scolopax rusticola) is a secretive, camouflaged wading bird that breeds on the edges of upland woodland and moorland. These birds are chunkier and shorter billed than snipes. They are most active at dawn and dusk, often seen during their “roding” display flights—a low, looping flight accompanied by a series of grunts and squeaks. They are often seen taking short quick steps, whilst bobbing their heads back and forth when they walk.

Red Grouse

The Red Grouse (Lagopus lagopus scotica) is a charismatic and well-camouflaged bird of the uplands, and it has a notable presence on the Isle of Man, particularly in southern upland habitats.

Like many upland bird species, Red grouse nest on the ground, often under dense heather. Their chicks are precocial like curlews and feed on insects and vegetation. Their presence is an indicator of healthy upland ecosystems; however, the Isle of Man’s local population is threatened by the loss of habitat corridors. This is for many reasons: we are experiencing hotter, drier summers and milder winters due to climate change. Outbreaks of heather beetle can cause significant damage to heather, especially when combined with other stressors like drought. Historic afforestation and peat extraction have displaced and reduced the size of connected heather moorlands, leaving fractured habitats for grouse. Our work aims to carefully restore and manage peatland areas through prescribed burning and cutting of heather, and rewetting large upland areas, encouraging a healthy age structure of heather, which will benefit red grouse at all ages.