Credit: Apodemus sylvaticus bosmuis, Rasbak
Wildlife Explorer
The landscape of Birmingham and the Black Country has a rich social, economic and natural heritage shaped by a complex history of rural, industrial, and more recent suburban and commercial land use. The wildlife is as varied and valuable as that of any other part of the United Kingdom.
The rare and the special are here, from scarce mammals like water voles and polecats to dragonflies and kingfishers, plus a huge variety of plant life, as documented in the trailblazing book ‘Flora of Birmingham and the Black Country’. Adding spice to this is an astounding mix of species reflecting the many peoples and trades that have come here from around the world – for example plants grown from Argentinian seeds, and African parakeets.
Giant horntail
With yellow-and-black bands, the giant horntail looks like a large wasp, but is harmless to us. The female uses her long, stinger-like…
7-spot ladybird
One of our most common ladybirds, the black-on-red markings of the 7-spot ladybird are very familiar. Ladybirds are a gardeners best…
Solar powered sea slug
This remarkable creature shows nature’s fantastic complexity!
Bottlenose dolphin
Bottlenose dolphins in British waters are the biggest of their kind – they need to be able to cope with our chilly waters! They are very…
Common seal
The smaller of our two UK seal species, common seals are also known as harbour seals. Despite being called "Common", they are…
Dryad's saddle
This big, beautiful fungus is a common one that can often be spotted popping out of trees.
