The Purple Hairstreak butterfly. Dark wings with streaks of purple.

Wildlife

The Windsor Estate provides habitats for a vast array of fauna and flora – including birds, bats, insects, fish, and rare fungi and lichens.

Here are a few of the types and species that we work to conserve.

Amphibians

We have five species of amphibians. The frogs and toads are fairly common in some ponds or lakes, the newts are harder to see because of the habitats and behaviour.

Amphibians

Common frog
Common toad
Smooth newt
Palmate newt
Great crested newt

Bats

Bats use trees and buildings for roosting, as well as bat boxes we have provided to help us study their populations.

Bats

The habitats in Windsor Great Park and its woodland provide lots of natural insect food and sheltered places for bats to feed. Some of the eleven species present include:

Noctule and serotine bats
Brown long-eared bat
Daubenton’s bat
Pipistrelle bat

Birds

The ancient trees within Windsor Great Park and the wider Estate provide a variety of habitats, offering ideal nesting sites for a number of interesting birds – including tawny and barn owls, and the green and great spotted woodpecker.

Birds

Red kites soar overhead and kestrels hover in search of prey in the long grass. The mistle thrush is numerous across the park, and in winter can be seen feeding on berries of its namesake the mistletoe plant, which grows partially parasitic on Lime and other trees.

If you are interested in ground-nesting species such as nightjars and Dartford warblers, the young plantations and rich heathland of Swinley Forest – part of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area – is a prime location in which to spot them.

Birds

There is also a great deal of bird life to be seen in our wetland habitats. Herons can often be seen on the lake at Virginia Water – and Mandarin ducks, coots and kingfishers can be found in the southern streams that feed into it. White egrets have become more numerous, while many migratory wildfowl flock to Windsor Great Park in winter.

Woodland and parkland birds

Ring-necked parakeet
Kestrel
Red Kite
Buzzard
Raven
Jackdaws
Mistle thrush
Song Thrush
Fieldfare

Chiffchaff
Tawny owl
Redwings
Barn owl
Little owl
Blackcap
Great spotted woodpecker
Nuthatch
Treecreeper

Lakes, ponds and wetland birds

Grey heron, little egret
Cormorant
Great crested grebe, little grebe, coot and moorhen
Ducks such as the mallard, mandarin, and tufted duck, as well as less common species like pochard, gadwall, shoveler and teal
Geese, including the greylag, Egyptian and Canadian

Forest and heathland birds

The Dartford warbler, woodlark, stonechat, crossbill, and woodcock can be seen all year round
The nightjar, tree pipit, cuckoo, redstart, and hobby can be found in spring and summer

Fungi

Fungi are essential parts of our world and help habitats to function. Fungi act as ‘ecosystem engineers’. They help trees and flowers to grow through their underground networks entwined with roots in the soil, they recycle the nutrients from fallen leaves and branches and provide food for animals and insects.

Fungi

They also create valuable habitats on the old trees, such as hollow branches, or the softer wood which woodpeckers and other creatures can hollow out.

Windsor is a nationally important site for rare species and assemblages of fungi. Over 1,000 species of macro-fungi have been recorded, 250 of which are rare species. In fact, there are 43 rare species of fungi that are confined almost entirely to Windsor. These can flourish in the ancient soils around old tree roots or on undisturbed grasslands with healthy soils.

Fungi iuuiyjihjuikj

No picking is allowed as the fungi are sensitive to damage, and we want them to be left for others to enjoy, and to fulfil their ecological functions. They are specially protected within the SSSI areas. They make wonderful subjects for photography or artwork, especially where they occur amongst the autumn colours.

The general term ‘fungi’ refers to all manner of types, which are sometimes referred to as mushrooms, toadstools, puffballs, brackets, corals, moulds as well as other terms.

Insects

Windsor Great Park is one of the best places to see and study rare and specialised insects. As they are legally protected we support careful study and photography, but we do not allow any collecting of specimens.

Insects

We also see more common species, including:

Bumblebees
Millipedes and centipedes
Woodlouse
Hornets

Beetles

Windsor Great Park is home to nearly 2,000 species of beetle, many of which are endangered, vulnerable or near-threatened.

Beetles

Our most impressive species is the large stag beetle, which is seen during mid-summer, being most active flying at dusk. The large maggot-like larvae live amongst the decaying roots of old trees for many years before emerging as an adult. Some of our rarer beetles are not often seen due to their secretive life cycles – these include the violet click beetle, black click beetle, variable chafer, and oak click beetle.

Butterflies & day flying moths

Butterflies and moths depend on particular plants for their caterpillars to feed on, and an abundance of nectar sources which the adults feed on. A selection of the species you can see in Windsor Great Park and the wider Estate are shown below.

Woodland butterflies & day flying moths

Orange-tip
Marbled white
Small heath

Grassland butterflies and day flying moths

Orange-tip
Marbled white
Small heath
Small copper
Large skipper
Common blue
Cinnabar moth
Burnet moth

Heathland butterflies and day flying moths

Green hairstreak
Silver-studded blue
Grayling
Small heath

Decaying wood insects

Our position at the top of the ‘Index of Ecological Continuity’ indicates a continuity of high-quality dead wood habitats from ancient times to the present.

Decaying wood insects

Insects thrive in old trees and decaying wood – particularly specialist beetles and flies.

Dragonflies

The Estate is home to around 26 species of dragonfly, some of which can be very abundant. Our diversity of wetland habitats – from common ponds to heathland pools and mires – supports species that are also common and rare.

Dragonflies

They depend on the water through their larval stages and then fly as colourful adults through the spring and summer. Look out for the large emperor dragonfly in the Park, whilst the very long golden-ringed dragonfly is more often seen near forest streams. The nationally uncommon small red damselfly occurs at heathland pools and boggy areas in the forests.

Flies

Over 1,800 species have been found here including the unique royal splinter crane fly. This insect is only found here, and very little is known about its habitat preferences. Its name identifies its dependence on the Royal Landscape.

Flies

The high number of specialist flies found here is one of the reasons why The Windsor Estate have been identified as an SSSI, and surveys confirm that it continues to be of national importance.

Specialist studies of flies have shown that much of the interest is due to the rich array of decaying wood microhabitats present to support the life cycles of the different species.

The Queen’s executioner beetle

In 2010 one of our rarest and most endangered beetles was given the title ‘Queen’s executioner beetle’ in a competition to name ten of Britain’s rarest species. It was formerly only known by its scientific name of Megapenthes lugens.

The Queen’s executioner beetle

This species is generally associated with ancient hunting forests where there are populations of old Beech trees on which it depends. In recent times it has only been found at Windsor Great Park.

The name’s royal link with Windsor is clear, but the ‘executioner’ aspect represents the fact that the beetle’s larvae eat the larvae of other insects. Its black colour is also a link to the traditional hood of an executioner!

Fish

We have numerous freshwater fish in our lakes – including pike, bream, tench, roach, perch and carp. Smaller ponds and streams may support ‘tiddlers’ like sticklebacks. Some lakes have managed fish stocks for our angling members, and other populations are naturally sustaining.

Fish

Fish populations contribute to the food chains of our wetlands in the Park.

Fish can be active predators of frog tadpoles and young newts, but toad tadpoles tend to be less palatable and often survive better alongside the fish in our larger ponds.

Many of our water birds feed on fish of various sizes. The kingfisher dives for small fish from perches around the edges of ponds and lakes, whilst the great crested grebe can dive and swim underwater to hunt fish.

A Perch swims through the water. Its body is striped green and its fins are a deep orange.

Fish

The cormorant is much larger and can dive deeper and catch larger fish, whilst the grey heron stalks in the margins searching for fish to strike at using its long neck and spear-shaped beak.

Other animals which often hunt for fish are the grass snake and the mink, both of which are excellent swimmers.

Fish

Fallen tree branches and patches of water plants provide cover and shelter for fish to hide from their predators and can help to even up the contest between predators and prey.

Some of our fish are very long lived. We believe that some of the eels and carp in our lakes are likely to be at least 50 years old!

Lichens

Although pollution has affected lichens country-wide, we still have some very rare examples growing on the bark and exposed wood of our oldest trees.

Lichens

These species are good indicators of air pollutants such as nitrogen and ammonia, but we hope that the rarest species can thrive again as air quality improves.

Reptiles

We have four species of reptile in the Park, all have legal protection. They favour open habitats – especially areas of heather, grasses and gorse scrub – where they depend on warm sunshine.

Reptiles

Adder – not often seen due to its secretive behaviour. The adder has an attractive ‘zig-zag’ pattern along its back. They have become much scarcer nationally but we do have small populations on our Estate. If you see one do not approach and leave it to move away naturally. They can be enjoyed from a safe distance, and dog walkers please review this information.
Grass snake – common near ponds and streams – a very good swimmer that often hunts for frogs and small fish.
Viviparous lizard – sometimes seen scurrying across paths.
The rarely seen slow-worm

The rarely seen Slow Worm. Light brown in colour, and easy to miss.

Mammals

In addition, Windsor Great Park is also home to a number of other species, including muntjac and roe deer, badgers, moles, rabbits and hares.

Strictly speaking, the red deer and rare breed cattle aren’t wild, but they are important parts of the Estate’s ecosystem.

Red deer

Perhaps one of the best-known species that live in Windsor Great Park is our herd of red deer, which are resident in the Deer Park adjacent to the Long Walk. The current herd was established from two stags and 40 hinds, originally from the Balmoral Estate, which were introduced in 1979 by The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Rare breed cattle

If you visit the fields and woodland near Rangers Gate, close to Stag Meadow, you may also be able to catch a glimpse of our herd of long horn cattle – these magnificent animals are being used to restore more natural grazing systems in Windsor Great Park and the wider Estate.

Explore our habitats

Dig deeper into the habitats, the wildlife they support and the work we do to preserve them for the benefit of the nation.

Wildlife

Amphibians

Amphibians

Bats

Bats

Birds

Birds

Birds

Woodland and parkland birds

Woodland and parkland birds

Lakes, ponds and wetland birds

Lakes, ponds and wetland birds

Forest and heathland birds

Forest and heathland birds

Fungi

Fungi

Fungi iuuiyjihjuikj

Insects

Insects

Beetles

Beetles

Butterflies & day flying moths

Woodland butterflies & day flying moths

Grassland butterflies and day flying moths

Heathland butterflies and day flying moths

Decaying wood insects

Decaying wood insects

Dragonflies

Dragonflies

Flies

Flies

The Queen’s executioner beetle

The Queen’s executioner beetle

Fish

Fish

Fish

Fish

Lichens

Lichens

Reptiles

Reptiles

Mammals

Red deer

Rare breed cattle

Explore our habitats

Conservation & Stewardship

Woodland, parkland and wood pasture

Grassland and heathland

Lakes, Ponds and Wetlands