Erris has a large range of habitats including blanket bogs, estuaries, salt marshes, fresh water lakes, coasts, cliffs, machair, sand dunes, sandy beaches and rocky shores. It is an important area for bird watchers as the largely treeless landscape allows relatively easy access for birdwatching. Brent geese overwinter here feeding along the estuaries, and corncrake, chough, rock dove and twite are sometimes seen at Erris Head. Sightings of rarer birds, such as the grey phalarope, booted warbler and Wilson's petrel, have also been recorded.