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Focus stack of a common blue damselfly ( Enallagma cyathigerum ), found beside a river in the Norfolk Broads national pa
Photo: Buggingitout, CC BY-SA 4.0

Region · England

North Norfolk Coast and Broads Wildlife Checklist

North Norfolk and the Broads are famous for grey seal colonies at Blakeney Point and Horsey, huge winter flocks of pink-footed geese, and reedbeds with bitterns, cranes and swallowtail butterflies. This checklist covers 68 species across the coast and the Broads. Visit November to January for seal pups and geese, or May and June for bitterns and swallowtails.

The coast from Holme to Cley is a string of nature reserves linked by the Norfolk Coast Path. Inland, the Broads are a network of rivers, fens and shallow lakes where some of Britain's rarest wetland wildlife has its stronghold.

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The Norfolk checklist in the Wilder app, started as a trip with the first animals ticked
Animals to find
68
Where
England
Best time
Nov to Jan, May to Jun
Seal species
Grey and harbour

Norfolk's star species

  • Grey Seal, one of the animals to look for in Norfolk

    Grey Seal

    Blakeney Point holds one of England's biggest breeding colonies, visited by boat from Morston. Pups are born on the beaches at Horsey and Winterton from November to January.

    Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0

  • Harbour Seal, one of the animals to look for in Norfolk

    Harbour Seal

    Also called the common seal. It hauls out on the sandbanks at Blakeney alongside grey seals, and has pups in summer.

    Photo: Kolforn ( Kolforn ) I'd appreciate if you could mail me ([email protected])..., CC BY-SA 4.0

  • Pink-footed Goose, one of the animals to look for in Norfolk

    Pink-footed Goose

    Tens of thousands fly out from their roosts at dawn from November to January. Holkham and Snettisham give the biggest spectacles.

    Photo: Michael Garlick, CC BY-SA 2.0

  • Bittern

    Heard more often than seen: listen for the deep booming call in spring at Hickling, Strumpshaw and Titchwell. Watch for one flying low over the reeds.

  • Common Crane

    Cranes returned to breed in the Broads from 1979. In winter, watch them fly in to roost at dusk from the Stubb Mill watchpoint near Hickling.

  • Marsh Harrier

    Quarters low over every large reedbed. Watch for the male's grey, brown and black wings.

  • Swallowtail

    Britain's largest butterfly flies in the Broads fens in June. Hickling, Strumpshaw and How Hill are the best places.

  • Norfolk Hawker

    A brown dragonfly with bright green eyes, patrolling Broads dykes in June.

  • Chinese Water Deer

    Introduced, but Norfolk is its world stronghold outside Asia. Look on Broads grazing marshes for a small deer with no antlers and teddy-bear ears; males have small tusks.

  • Knot

    On the biggest high tides at Snettisham, tens of thousands swirl off the mudflats in dense flocks. Check tide tables for the best dates.

All 68 animals to spot in Norfolk

Grouped the way you'll meet them. Tips show where to look.

Mammals 16

Reedbed and fen birds 13

Coast and marsh birds 28

Reptiles and amphibians 6

Butterflies and dragonflies 5

  • Last reviewed September 2026.
  • Sources are listed below the questions.
  • Wild animals only. Please give them space.

Best time to see wildlife in Norfolk

Norfolk has two peak seasons. Winter, from November to February, brings pink-footed geese in huge numbers, grey seal pups at Horsey, Winterton and Blakeney, cranes at their roosts, snow buntings on the beaches and big wader flocks at Snettisham. Spring and early summer, from April to June, bring booming bitterns, avocets and terns on the coastal reserves, and swallowtails and Norfolk hawkers in the Broads in June. Spoonbills are present on the coast through the summer. Harbour seals pup at Blakeney in June and July. Autumn brings the first geese back in September and October, along with migrant birds along the coast after easterly winds. Midsummer can be quieter for birds but good for insects.

  • Nov-JanSeal pups, pink-footed geese, crane roosts
  • Feb-MarWader flocks, geese leaving
  • Apr-MayBitterns booming, avocets, terns
  • Jun-JulSwallowtails, harbour seal pups, spoonbills
  • Sep-OctGeese return, coastal migrants

Tips for spotting wildlife in Norfolk

  1. Keep off the seal beaches

    At Horsey, watch from the roped viewing areas on the dunes near Horsey Gap, and don't walk on the beach during the pupping season. Guidance is to stay at least 100 metres from seals, and keep dogs on leads.

  2. Take a Blakeney seal boat

    Boats leave from Morston Quay and run most of the year, with times set by the tides. Book ahead in summer and holiday weeks.

  3. Be on the coast at dawn for geese

    Pink-footed geese leave their roosts around sunrise. Stand on the sea wall at Holkham or the viewpoints at Snettisham and listen before you see them.

  4. Pick still days for reedbeds

    Bearded tits and bitterns are much easier to find when there is little wind. Titchwell, Cley and Hickling all have hides overlooking reeds.

  5. Listen for natterjacks

    On warm spring nights, natterjack toads call loudly from shallow pools in the dunes at Winterton. Stay on paths, as the dunes are protected.

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The Norfolk checklist in the Wilder app, started as a trip with the first animals ticked

Norfolk wildlife FAQ

Where can you see seals in Norfolk?

The two main places are Blakeney Point and the Horsey to Winterton coast. At Blakeney, seal boats from Morston Quay take you to the sandbanks where both grey and harbour seals haul out. At Horsey, grey seals come ashore to breed in winter and can be watched from the dunes. Always stay at least 100 metres away and never approach seals on a beach.

When are the seal pups at Horsey?

Grey seal pups are born at Horsey and Winterton from November to January, with the most pups on the beach in December. Watch from the viewing areas on the dunes near Horsey Gap car park, where volunteer wardens can help. The beach is off limits during the breeding season, because disturbed mothers can abandon their pups.

What wildlife can you see on the Norfolk Broads?

The Broads are best known for bitterns, cranes, marsh harriers, bearded tits and the swallowtail butterfly, which in Britain is found only here. Otters, Chinese water deer and the Norfolk hawker dragonfly are other specialities. Hickling Broad, Strumpshaw Fen and How Hill are among the best places, and boat trips give a good view of the reedbeds.

When do pink-footed geese arrive in Norfolk?

The first pink-footed geese arrive from Iceland in September, and numbers peak from November to January. They roost on the mudflats and marshes and fly inland to feed at dawn. Holkham, Snettisham and Wells are the best places to watch. Most leave again in February and March.

Sources

Last reviewed September 2026

Photo credits

All photo credits. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, resized.

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