Grassland and Meadow
Flowers, insects and the birds that follow them.
A species-rich meadow can hold dozens of plant species in a single square metre, and each one feeds different insects. Cut at the right time, or grazed lightly, it stays open and flowery. Left alone it turns to scrub; mown weekly it becomes a lawn with a fraction of the life.
Meadows are among the most threatened habitats in many countries, because they were ploughed, fertilised or built on. Small patches, including road verges and cemetery lawns, now matter a great deal.
484 species and 1,146 sightings have been recorded in grassland and meadow habitat by the Bosk community.
Species you may see in grassland and meadow habitat
- Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
- European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
- Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)
- Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
- Grass Snake (Natrix natrix)
- European Toad (Bufo bufo)
- Seven-Spotted Lady Beetle (Coccinella septempunctata)
- Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura)
- Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)
- European Mantis (Mantis religiosa)
- Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
- Common Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus)
- Common Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina)
- Giant Toad (Rhinella horribilis)
- Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen)
- Bogong Moth (Agrotis infusa)
- Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)
- Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
- Chicory (Cichorium intybus)
- Ring-Necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
- Common Slowworm (Anguis fragilis)
- European Common Frog (Rana temporaria)
- Groundhog (Marmota monax)
- Gulf Fritillary (Dione vanillae)
What to look for
- Meadow flowers such as knapweed and oxeye daisy
- Bumblebees and butterflies
- Grasshoppers in late summer
- Kestrel hovering
Grassland and Meadow through the year
Spring
First flowers and the return of butterflies.
Summer
Peak flowering; grasshoppers, bees and butterflies at their busiest.
Autumn
Seed heads feed finches; spiders' webs in the dew.
Winter
Seed-eating birds, and voles under the grass for owls and kestrels.
Why Grassland And Meadows Matter
- Wildflowers support pollinators, including many specialist bees and butterflies.
- Grassland birds and small mammals need tall, seeding grass.
- Healthy grassland soils store carbon.
How to be kind to grassland and meadow wildlife
- Avoid trampling long grass in summer.
- Pick nothing: flowers are food for pollinators.
- Support late-cut meadows and less frequent mowing.
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