Print pageStar species
Our star species are some of the most interesting birds you may see on your visit to the reserve.
Curlews are large, brown wading birds with very long, curved bills. In spring, you can hear their gorgeous, 'bubbling' song. | ) |
Hen harriers breed on the moorland here. You may see the ghostly grey males or rich brown females quartering the land in search of prey. |  |
Keep your eyes peeled for a dashing peregrine on a high-speed hunt, or cruising the clifftops. |  |
Red-throated divers are adapted for life on the water - they are very clumsy indeed on land as their feet are so far back on their bodies. They breed on a variety of lochans on Orkney and can also be seen at close range on Scapa Flow all year-round. |  |
Short-eared owls can be seen hunting here all year. The afternoons are a good time to spot them banking and gliding just above the ground, their piercing yellow eyes scanning for voles moving in the grass below. |  |