NATURE RESERVES

Langness Nature Reserve

NATURE RESERVES

Langness Nature Reserve

Manx BirdLife

Langness Nature Reserve

In 2025, Manx BirdLife acquired 60 acres on the Langness Peninsula — a landmark moment for conservation on the Isle of Man. This vital step was made possible thanks to the generous support of Langness Golf Course Ltd and Nature Vannin Ltd.

The site will be managed in perpetuity by Manx BirdLife, safeguarding its future as a haven for wildlife. Nestled alongside the nature-sensitive Castletown Golf Links, Langness is set to become a beacon of how nature and people can thrive together.

Our long-term vision is for Langness to serve as a model of best practice — a place where conservation and community walk hand in hand for the benefit of all.

MAP-llagness Langness Nature Reserve

A strategic step for Island-wide conservation

With Langness in the south and the Point of Ayre in the north now under our stewardship, Manx BirdLife is managing two of the Island’s most ecologically valuable areas for wild birds. This north-south corridor strengthens our ability to provide long-term protection and optimal habitat management for migratory and resident bird populations.

if you want to help support our Langness reserve, please visit our donate page.

Why is the area so special?

Langness is thought to be one of the most important areas for wintering birds on the Island. For many species, it is the only site in the Isle of Man that offers meaningful scale and scope of coastal habitat, comprising: coastal grassland; intertidal mudflat; saltmarsh, tidal and non-tidal rock, sand and shingle shore; shallow and deep-water marine environments.

Designated as an Area of Special Scientific Interest, this invaluable mix of coastal habitats falls within the original Isle of Man Wild Bird Sanctuary (1936), Furthermore, the adjoining foreshore and surrounding seas comprise the Langness Marine Nature Reserve (MNR 2018). and is an outstanding environmental asset within the UNESCO Biosphere Core Zone (2016).

More than 200 bird species have been recorded in the Langness, Sandwick, and Derbyhaven area — 202 of the 332 species of wild bird recorded in the Isle of Man, including:

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68 Schedule 1 species (IOM Wildlife Act 1990)

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30 of 48 Red-listed species of which 26 have bred
(as cited in Birds of Conservation Concern in the Isle of Man BoCCIoM 2021)

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19 of the 68 Amber-listed species

Birds frequently seen here include:

Little Egret, Grey Plover, Knot, Curlew Sandpiper, Ruff, both Black- and Bar-tailed Godwit, Whimbrel, Greenshank, Golden Plover, and Short-eared Owl. In winter, Langness is the only place on the Island where Pale-bellied Brent Geese can reliably be seen.

Migratory visitors such as Sandwich Terns also pass through. And for rarity-seekers, sightings have included Temminck’s Stint, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher, and Calandra Lark.

“One of Langness’s special winter spectacles is the sight of Chough flocks feeding among seaweed along the strandline — a rare and memorable experience.”
Pale bellied brent geese at Langness
Lesser mottled grasshopper - Richard Selman

More than just birds

Langness is also the sole British Isles location for the Lesser Mottled Grasshopper, a species more commonly found in France.

Other notable wildlife includes:

  • Common frog
  • Common lizard
  • 15 species of butterfly, including Red Admiral, Painted Lady, and Clouded Yellow

“Our work at Langness is just beginning — and we’re committed to making this site a thriving, protected landscape where people can enjoy nature and wildlife flourishes. We hope Langness will stand as a proud example of conservation success on the Isle of Man.”

Please support our vital work

However you wish to help wild birds and the places in which they live – whether by sending us your bird records, donating, volunteering or supporting our education activities – we look forward to working with your support to make a difference.

Please support our vital work

However you wish to help wild birds and the places in which they live – whether by sending us your bird records, donating, volunteering or supporting our education activities – we look forward to working with your support to make a difference.

Turnstones on a rock