Wildlife at Studland Bay

Studland Bay is a fascinating mosaic of habitats from heaths and downland to wetlands and the shoreline. Rare dune heath and little known woodlands complete the picture.

Studland Bay from the air — Studland Bay manages to pack a wide variety of wildlife habitats into a small area

Godlingston Heath near Studland, Dorset — Discover unique wildlife communities in some of Britain's best lowland heath

Lowland heaths in Purbeck

The lowland heaths on the shores of Poole Harbour support rare birds, unique plant communities and all six native British reptiles.

Dune heath at Studland Bay — Dune heath is one of the things that makes Studland special

Studland's sand dunes

Studland is the most important site on the South Coast for dune heath – a rare habitat where land and shoreline meet and unique natural communities thrive.

Little Sea in Studland — Little Sea is just part of a network of wetlands

Wetlands by the coast

Hidden among the dunes is a mosaic of habitats where water-loving plants and animals now thrive in places they colonised in just the last few hundred years

Bluebells in Langton West Wood, Purbeck — Some of Britain’s best loved woodland species thrive in Purbeck’s hidden glades

Woodlands of Purbeck

Despite being better known for its heaths and coastline, Purbeck is dotted with ancient woodlands which support some of our rarest wildlife.

Cattle grazing in the Purbeck Hills — Traditional grazing helps protect the diverse ecosystems of the Purbeck uplands

Diverse grasslands

The thin soils of upland Purbeck support an amazing variety of wildflowers, insects and birds, thanks to traditional grazing going back centuries.

The shores of Poole Harbour — Specialist plants and animals thrive between the high and low water marks

Wildlife of the harbour shore

Rich sediments carried downstream by rivers are the foundations of a complex ecosystem along the mudflats of the harbour shore.