Juvenille Peregrine falcon.Photograph by Trevor Wood.
Birds are warm-blooded vertebrate animals and descendents of the dinosaurs. All birds lay eggs with hard shells and they are the only extant group of animals with feathers. There are an estimated 9,000 bird species worldwide including the ostrich, guinea fowl, ducks, kingfishers, woodpeckers, parrots, doves, hummingbirds, owls, pelicans, the flamingo, grebes and penguins.
In Britain a wide variety of birds can be seen, with around 400 different species recorded each year. Although the number of species found in many upland areas is often low, the variety of different habitats in the Yorkshire Dales provide important nesting areas for just over 100 different species each year.
The heather moorland areas of the National Park support a range of species including the red grouse, golden plover and merlin. Along the moorland edge species such as the ring ouzel, twite and black grouse can still be found, with peregrines and ravens nesting on undisturbed crags.
The upland pastures support nationally important numbers of wader species such as curlew and lapwing, along with snipe and redshank. The hay meadows are also important for a number of breeding waders and, in some areas, for nesting yellow wagtails.
Dales woodlands provide a habitat for a wide range of typical woodland species but some of the more sought after species such as the pied flycatcher and wood warbler have a more limited distribution. Other birds typically found along the woodland edge and in areas of scrub in the Dales include the green woodpecker and the redstart. Although coniferous woodlands support fewer bird species crossbills and siskins can be encountered.
Stony upland rivers and streams provide a habitat for the distinctive dipper, whose presence is an indicator of good water quality. Grey wagtails are also widespread along many of the Dales rivers, with the common sandpiper and oystercatcher likely to be seen where there are stony riverbanks or areas of shingle. Where the rivers become deeper goosanders are likely to be present and sand martins will nest where the river banks are soft enough to allow them to excavate nest holes.
