2.6 Managing habitats for brown hare

Why your farm is important

The brown hare was once very common and widespread across the country; however, the population has declined substantially in recent decades. The brown hare is now most common in the open arable landscapes of eastern Britain. Changes in farming practices, post World War II, such as larger fields, less stubble and a simpler crop rotation, have all reduced the amount of food available for hares and have contributed towards their decline.

Priority areas for brown hare

This map shows the priority areas for brown hare. It is intended to help you establish whether the options below are suitable for your farm. More detailed regional maps are available on the Natural England website at: www.naturalengland.org.uk/es.

If your farm is located in a high-priority or medium-priority area, by including the options into your agreement, you will be helping brown hare thrive on your farm.

What you can do for the brown hare

Hares require quiet, undisturbed cover to raise young and to hide from predators. Wild bird seed and grass mixes provide cover and a good source of food. Stubbles and game crops can also provide good cover for hares. Hares require continuous grazing throughout the year, so options which improve all year round grazing are beneficial for hare populations.