Print pageStar species
Our star species are some of the most interesting birds you may see on your visit to the reserve.
The isle of Lewis is an important breeding ground for dunlins. Look out for them in their smart summer plumage with brown backs and black underparts. |  |
Watch the nesting lapwings here chasing predators that may come too close to their nests or show too much of an interest in their chicks. The protective parents regularly give chase to crows and do not stop their 'mobbing' attacks until the danger has passed. |  |
Phalaropes are unusual wading birds in which the females are the more colourful of the two sexes and also perform most of the courtship rituals. Here, you can watch them as they spin about on the water searching for food. |  |
Keep an eye out for the redshanks' towering display flights over the wet meadows in spring. They are sometimes known as 'the sentinel of the marshes' for their noisy habit of drawing attention to predators. |  |
In autumn, whooper swans stop off at Loch na Muilne on their way from Iceland. Many of them will spend the winter further south in other parts of the UK. |  |