VISITORS to Haldon Forest are being encouraged to help protect ground-nesting bird including the mysterious nightjar.

The nightjar is a carnivorous nocturnal bird and Haldon Forest and the surrounding area is home to one per cent of the UK’s breeding population.

Rangers from Forestry England is appealing to visitors to join a free guided walk to find out more about the birds.

The rangers are also appealing to visitors to do their bit for the rare birds by keeping themselves and their dogs on official paths. .

About 50 pairs arrive from Africa each summer, flying an eye-watering 3,500 miles to reach their preferred habitats: heathland, young conifer plantation, and recently clearfelled forest.

Forestry England ensures all these habitats are available across Haldon Forest, helping nightjar numbers to recover after they tumbled dramatically during the 20th century when heathland habitat was lost from across England.

But even in its favourite habitats, the nightjar is at risk from predators, such as foxes, stoats, and hedgehogs, and to harm from people and dogs.

Ecologist, Aaron Boughtflower, explained: ‘Like many ground-nesting birds, nightjar have incredible camouflage that helps to hide them from predators.

‘But that makes them vulnerable to human disturbance because we can’t see where they are as we pass through their habitat.

‘While it’s tempting to stray off official trails or let dogs run through heather and scrub in search of smells, this can disrupt breeding behaviour and put bird populations at risk.

‘It doesn’t take a direct attack to harm a nesting bird, even close proximity of a dog can be enough to frighten a bird away from its offspring.

‘Breeding adults need all their energy to hatch and raise their chicks.

‘Fleeing the nest uses up their precious energy reserves and stresses the birds.

‘Without their mother, young chicks are exposed to predators and temperamental weather conditions.

'The good news is that we can all do our bit to help ground-nesting birds simply by keeping to official paths and trails when we’re out in the forest or countryside.

‘Keep dogs in sight and close by, and use a lead if their recall isn’t reliable. It’s super simple, and it can make all the difference to our valuable wildlife.’

Guided walks will run on June 11 and 26 and July 9.

More details and booking is available at https://forestryuk.link/nightjarwalks2025 (places are limited).