This reserve forms part of the Arun Valley Special Protection Area (SPA) near the South Downs, extending across a broad sweep of undisturbed wet grassland, intersected with wildlife-rich ditches and surrounded by woodlands. It's a key location for wintering wildfowl including Bewick's swan, wigeon, teal, shoveler and pintail.
There is a train station in Amberley village.
If arriving by foot, the Wey-South Path takes you across Amberley Wildbrooks and can be accessed from Amberley village.
The air is full of the songs of skylarks, meadow pipits, reed buntings and warblers. You might see lapwing and redshank displaying, hear a secretive water rail squealing or a cuckoo calling.
The bird song gives way to the hum of insects and an array of dazzling dragonflies.
The leaves start to turn in Rackham Woods and the waterfowl start to arrive. A marsh harrier or red kite might drift over.
Thousands of wintering ducks and geese use the flooded brooks - look for colourful wigeon, dainty teal and elegant pintail amongst the ducks. This is the best time to see birds of prey - short-eared owls, hen and marsh harriers, peregrines and merlins can be seen hunting over the reserve
The lowland wet grassland at Amberley Wildbrooks is part of the Arun Valley floodplain and is criss-crossed by ditches which host some incredibly rare and special creatures and plants. The grassland, pools and scrapes provide feeding areas for wintering wildfowl and nesting areas for wading birds and the ditches support a huge variety of plant and animal species.
Overlooking Amberley Wildbrooks is Rackham Woods, also owned and managed by the RSPB. There are several Bronze Age tumuli on the high sandstone ridge of Rackham Woods which also offer stunning views across the Wildbrooks to the South Downs. These are surrounded by mixed woodland which is home to a variety of woodland birds and species of bat.
A combination of controlled flooding, grazing and hay cutting are used to manage the wet grassland to create a healthy mosaic of grassland habitats and the perfect conditions for wintering wildfowl such as Bewick's swan, wigeon, teal, shoveler and pintail and for our breeding waders such as lapwings, redshank and occasionally snipe. The wet grassland is criss-crossed with ditches which are home to some very special wildlife.
There is considerable biodiversity interest, in particular the rare and endangered little whirlpool ramshorn snail (Anisus vorticulus) and the diverse assemblage of ditch plant species including cut-grass (Leersia oryzoides).
Several Bronze Age barrows are located at the high point of Rackham Wood - the surrounding areas are kept clear of trees to prevent damage caused by tree roots to these scheduled ancient monuments.
Amberley Wildbrooks forms part of the Arun Valley Special Protection Area (SPA) important for its overwintering wildfowl including Bewick's swan, wigeon, teal, shoveler and pintail.
This site is one of several which due to its size, location and/or conservation sensitivity is not capable of accommodating large numbers of visitors.
