Wildlife
You'll find all sorts of wildlife on Britain's waterways - from common sights such as mallards and moorhens, to otters and water voles.
You can help waterway ecologists.
Every year British Waterways runs a national wildlife survey, inviting members of the public to tell us what species they have spotted on Britain's canals and rivers.
The 2008 Wildlife Survey has now closed, but we will be launching a new survey next spring. Check back here for details.
Read the 2008 wildlife survey results
In this section ...
Summer wildlife
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Summer is a time of abundance, colour and life - an especially busy season for wildlife. More »
Damselflies
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Damselflies are brightly coloured insects who, like dragonflies, are acrobatic masters of the air, hunting for their prey which consists mainly of mosquitoes, midges and larger insects. More »
Spring wildlife
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March 21st is celebrated as the first day of spring and the end of dreary winter. However, Mother Nature pays no heed to calendars and the first signs of the changing seasons can often be glimpsed as early as January. More »
Mallard
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Without a doubt the most abundant duck in the world, the wild mallard is as common to our local parks as the children's swings and summer ice-cream van. More »
Swan
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From the grace of Swan Lake to the charm of The Ugly Duckling, the swan is a popular figure in British and European culture. More »
Heron
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Nature's most accomplished fisherman, the grey heron is known for its motionless stance at the water's edge. More »
Coot
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Coots can be found in large numbers, along numerous waterways up and down the country. More »
Bat
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Bram Stoker has a lot to answer for! Bats have suffered a lot of bad press thanks to their fictitious association with vampires and witchcraft. More »
Moorhen
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The misleading term 'Moorhen' derives from the more appropriate 'Mirehen' or 'Marshhen' which give a more accurate picture of this bird's true habitat. More »
Water vole
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Best known as 'Ratty' from Wind in the Willows, the furry water vole is an endearing waterways character. More »
Mink
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The American mink is now an established (though not universally celebrated) feature of Britain's waterways. More »
Cormorant
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These prehistoric-looking fisherman have become an increasingly common sight along inland lakes and waterways in the UK. More »
Frog
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Britain's most familiar amphibian will make its home almost anywhere, as long as a suitable breeding site is nearby. More »
Pearl mussels
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The luminous pearls which attracted Julius Ceaser to Britain are now dangerously rare. More »
Badger
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The Eurasian Badger, or Brock, is one of Britain's largest and best-loved wild animals. More »
Terrapin
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Originally native to the UK some 8,000 years ago, the terrapin has made a fateful return to our waterways in the aftermath of 1980s 'turtle mania'. More »
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