The AONB is home to an amazing diversity of species, many of which are uncommon in a national or international context but thrive within the unique mosaic of habitats.

The numbers and diversity of butterflies are particularly impressive with 34 species, including the High Brown Fritillary, Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Duke of Burgundy, White-letter Hairstreak and Northern Brown Argus.

Well over half the UKs flowering plant species have been recorded including the Lady’s-slipper Orchid, the Lancaster Whitebeam which is found nowhere else in the world other than around Morecambe Bay, the Purple Ramping Fumitory and the nationally scarce Blue Moor-grass.

Notable breeding birds include several reedbed specialists such as Bittern, Marsh Harrier and Bearded Tit. Others such as Marsh Tit are found throughout the limestone and wet woodlands. Internationally significant numbers of Oystercatcher can be found on high tide roosts on the coast each autumn and the intertidal flats are an important feeding station for long distance migrant wading birds such as Black-tailed Godwit, Knot and Dunlin.