Action for Species
The Peak District is home to 161 UKBAP species, that's 14% of priority species. This means protecting the special species of the Peak District and the habitats they rely on is hugely important.
For many of our species, their conservation requires managing the habitats they live in; improving what we already have, and creating new areas that they can move into.
Some species require particular habitats or have adapted to require other species to complete their life cycle, for example the tormentil mining bee needs bare sand to burrow into, and tormentil, which is it's food plant. Other species need a combination of different habitats at different stages of their lives, such as twite which nest in bracken on the moorland edge, but feed in seed-rich hay meadows. Understanding these connections is key to taking the most appropriate action to help priority species.
Priority Species in the Peak District
These are the UKBAP and locally important species for which we are taking action.
# Not on the UKBAP list but important to the Peak District
Species | Why it's on the list | Action | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mammals | |||
| Bats (all species) | European protected species | Protection | Legislative protection (Wildlife and Countryside Act) Planning consultation |
| Brown Hare | Iconic species associated with grasslands | Habitat management | |
| Harvest Mouse | NERC Section 41 Species | ||
| Mountain Hare | Only population in England | Habitat management | Dove Stone Partnership |
| Otter | NERC Section 41 Species | ||
| Water vole | Historic decline, threats remain | Monitoring | Dove Stone Partnership Eastern Moors Partnership |
| Birds | |||
| Curlew | Significant recent decline Red list | Habitat creation Habitat management Survey/ monitoring | Agri-environment schemes Dove Stone Partnership Eastern Moors Partnership/ RSPB Curlew Recovery Programme South West Peak Landscape Partnership |
| Dipper | Survey | Dove Stone Partnership | |
| Golden plover # | South Pennine Moors SPA designation Amber list | Habitat improvement | Dove Stone Partnership Eastern Moors Partnership Moors for the Future |
| Grasshopper warbler | Red list | Habitat improvement | Eastern Moors Partnership |
| Hen harrier # | Red list | Monitoring Habitat management | Birds of Prey Initiative Moorland management plans |
| Lapwing | Significant decline Red list | Habitat creation Habitat improvement/ management Monitoring | Agri-environment schemes Eastern Moors Partnership South West Peak Landscape Partnership |
| Merlin # | South Pennine Moors SPA designation | Monitoring | Birds of Prey Initiative |
| Peregrine | Monitoring | Birds of Prey Initiative | |
| Red grouse | Climate change risk Amber list | Habitat improvement | Dove Stone Partnership Moors for the Future Moorland management plans |
| Ring ouzel | Regional stronghold Southern edge of range Red list | Habitat management Monitoring | Dove Stone Partnership Eastern Moors Partnership Moorland management plans |
| Short-eared owl # | South Pennine Moors SPA designation Amber list | Monitoring Habitat improvement | Birds of Prey Initiative Dove Stone Partnership |
| Skylark | Associated with low intensity grassland Red list | Habitat improvement Habitat management | Agri-environment schemes |
| Snipe | Significant decline Amber list | Habitat creation Habitat improvement Habitat management | Agri-environment schemes South West Peak Landscape Partnership |
| Tree sparrow | Historic decline Red list | ||
| Twite | Significant decline Pennines stronghold Red list | ||
| Yellow wagtail | Historic decline Red list | Agri-environment schemes | |
| Woodland birds - Hawfinch, Lesser redpoll, Lesser spotted woodpecker, Marsh tit, Nightjar, Spotted flycatcher, Tree pipit, Willow tit, Wood warbler | National hotspot Recent decline National responsibility | Habitat creation Survey | Clough Woodland Project Eastern Moors Partnership Woodland birds project |
| Insects | |||
| Bilberry bumblebee # | Specialist moorland species | Habitat management Survey | Moors for the Future - Community Science Project |
| Dingy skipper butterfly | Regional stronghold | ||
| Iron blue mayfly | Indicator of water quality | ||
| Small blue butterfly | NERC Section 41 species | ||
| White-letter hairstreak butterfly | Important stronghold | ||
| Fish | |||
| Atlantic salmon | NERC Section 41 species | ||
| Brook lamprey # | |||
| Brown trout | |||
| Bullhead # | Water Framework Directive | ||
| European eel | |||
| Reptiles, amphibians and crustaceans | |||
| Adder | Regional significance | Monitoring | Eastern Moors Partnership |
| Great crested newt | White Peak national stronghold | Habitat management Protection | Agri-environment schemes Legislative protection |
| White-clawed crayfish | Globally endangered Peak District Dales SAC designation | Protection Habitat creation | South West Peak Landscape Partnership Legislative protection |
| Plants, bryophytes and fungi | |||
| Dark red helleborine # | Threatened by collectors | Monitoring | Natural England monitoring |
| Date-coloured waxcap | Associated with unimproved grassland | ||
| Derbyshire feather-moss | Vulnerable, only known site globally | Monitoring | Natural England and Environment Agency monitoring SSSI management |
| Field gentian | Natural England local target species | Habitat management | Volunteer action |
| Frog orchid | |||
| Globeflower | Locally declining | Habitat management | National Nature Reserve management |
| Jacob's ladder # | Local speciality | Habitat management | National Nature Reserve management |
| Lesser butterfly orchid | Threatened by collectors | ||
| Maiden pink # | Declining Natural England national and local target species | Monitoring | Volunteer monitoring |