Wales |
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Wales' wildlife is typical of Britain with
several distinctions. Because of its long coastline, Wales
hosts a variety of seabirds. The coasts and surrounding
islands are home to colonies of gannets, Manx shearwater,
puffins, kittiwakes, shags and razorbills. In comparison,
with 60 per cent of Wales above the 150m contour, the
country also supports a variety of upland habitat birds,
including raven and ring ouzel. Birds of prey include the
merlin, hen harrier and the red kite, a national symbol of
Welsh wildlife. The waters of south-west Wales of Gower, Pembrokeshire and Cardigan Bay attract marine animals, including basking sharks, Atlantic grey seals, leatherback turtles, dolphins, porpoises, jellyfish, crabs and lobsters. Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, in particular, are recognised as an area of international importance for bottlenose dolphins, and New Quay has the only summer residence of bottlenose dolphins in the whole of the UK. River fish of note include char, eel, salmon, shad, sparling and Arctic char, whilst the gwyniad is unique to Wales, found only in Bala Lake. Wales is known for its shellfish, including cockles, limpet, mussels and periwinkles. Herring, mackerel and hake are the more common of the country's marine fish. |
Welsh wildlife
hotspots |
Georgi Stoqnov 8a 2022 |