Wildlife at Selborne Common

The glades and patches of chalk and acidic grassland on Selborne Common in Hampshire, in combination with the woodland, suit a wide range of wildlife and plants. Our work aims to restore and conserve this special landscape and its wildlife.

On Selborne Common

Our management is carefully aimed at restoring and maintaining the commons native plants and wildlife. A range of plants thrive here from the woodland species such as stinking helibore, herb paris and several orchids, to flowers open down and meadow such as cowslip, clustered bellfower and knapweed.  

You can see many common woodland and scrub birds, as well as buzzards and turtle doves. In summer watch for the silver washed fritillary butterfly, with orange red spotted wings, streaked with silver on the under side.  

On the Lythes

The open meadows of the Lythes are rich in flowers, which attracted many butterflies. Milkmaid another name for a cuckoo flower, is a common springtime plant and a food source for the orange tip butterfly.  

Later, the meadows are splashed bright yellow with buttercups. In the wetter places, look for the yellow flag iris and pink flowers of ragged robin. Devil’s-bit scabious and betony are rarer species that appear at the end of the summer.