Wildlife of Europe
Europe has a surprisingly diverse range of wildlife watching possibilities. The Lynx, though very rare, can be found in the forests of northern Scandinavia and the coastal wetlands of southern Spain and many places in between. Bears are still be found across most of Europe; Wild boar, deer, moose, otters, beavers, Mountain goats, Pine martens, polecats, wolverines and even bison can all still be found.
Whale and dolphin watching in Europe
Whales can be seen on the Atlantic coasts of Europe and in parts of the Mediterranean, especially in the summer. Minke whales are most common, but Humpback, Sperm, Fin and even Beluga whales can all be seen.
Orca (Killer whales), Bottlenose, Common, Risso's and Striped dolphins can all be seen, as well as Basking sharks and a variety of seals. It is even possible to swim with Orca in Norway, click here to read how.
Birdwatching in Europe
Europe has a huge range of habitats, from tundra and taiga to bogs, moorland, forests, mountain ranges, coastal cliffs, wetlands and semi arid deserts. This diverstiy provides suitable habitat for a huge range of birdlife, and nearly 80 different 'families' of birds are to be found in Europe, about half of the worlds total. Approximately 550 species of bird are regularly found in Europe, not counting rare migrants and accidentals.
Recent Europe news
- European wildlife targets ‘unlikely’ to be met
- The European eel - To migrate or not to migrate in freshwaters?
- Climatic Risk Atlas of European Butterflies
- Protest in Turkey against the Ilisu Dam
- Mediterranean loggerhead turtles - 2 distinct populations
- Last ditch search launched for Europe’s rarest bird.
- EU set to miss wildlife target
- Dire breeding season for British and Icelandic Seabirds
- Management of the bluefin tuna fishery as “an international disgrace”
- UK wins deal on set-aside
- A million tonnes of fish dumped in the North Sea every year
- Italian fishermen agree to bluefin tuna moratorium, while Spanish Parliament pushes for sanctuaries
- Surprise vote to close Mediterranean tuna fishery
- Czech biologists protests against Indian jail term.
- Eurobirdwatch 2008
More Europe news
- International shark protection needed to protect Atlantic Porbeagles, Mako and others
- Massive flouting of tuna rules in Italy
- Bluefin tuna migration patterns revealed for Mediterranean and Western Atlantic populations
- European amphibians sliding towards extinction
- Deadly Chytrid fungus introduced into Mallorca from captive breeding
- Wildlife flyovers in Spain – Saving wildlife and humans.
- Amazing week long crossing of Greenland icecap by lone white-fronted goose
- Mediterranean Bluefin tuna management is an international disgrace – must be suspended immediately
- Bay of Biscay whales research - 2009
- 85 tonnes of whale meat to be dumped?
- Norwegian whalers can’t find enough whales
- Greenpeace put rocks on sea bed to snag bottom trawling nets and discourage sand extraction
- Red-breasted Goose population declines by 50% in 10 years
- Mediterranean Whale survey indicates declining numbers
- Bluefin tuna tagging project launched in the Mediterranean
Related News Articles
Biscay whale watch 2008.
In two days we had encountered 9 species of cetacean, including rare beaked whales, leaping Bottlenose Dolphins, large tuna, the second largest whale on earth, and ghostly white Risso's Dolphins. Read more »
