On Texel, you can have a special nature experience by discovering the island's ‘Big Five’. These Big Five are not African animals, but Texel's most characteristic animal species. From the Texel sheep to impressive sea and bird species, each animal plays a role in life on the island.

1. Texel sheep

In spot 1 is, of course, the Texel sheep ‘Texelaar’. The Texelaar is a well-known Dutch sheep breed valued for its good meat and strong wool. The breed has already adapted well and the rugged North Sea climate and therefore has a muscular build. Texel is home to as many sheep as inhabitants! Around 14,000 of both live on the island and thousands of lambs are added in spring.

2. Seal

In second place is the seal. More than 10,000 seals live in the Wadden area. In and around Texel, these are the common seal and the grey seal. Off the coast of Texel are a number of sandbanks where large groups of seals live all year round. From late November, you can spot the first seal pups on the mud flats and beach. From Oudeschild, you can take several boats on a trip to the sandbanks.

3. Porpoise

The harbour porpoise is the most common cetacean in the North Sea. It is not a fish but, like other cetaceans, a mammal that lives in the sea and surfaces to breathe. Porpoises have a grey to black colouration and a white belly. The porpoise has a blunt snout and a small dorsal fin, which you only see when it comes up for air. Unlike dolphins and humpback whales, porpoises almost never jump above the water. This makes them difficult to spot and you usually see no more than the back and dorsal fin. From the ferry from Den Helder to Texel (in the Marsdiep), you are most likely to see a porpoise in early spring.

4. Spoonbill

The spoonbill is the island's most famous breeding bird. In fact, Texel has the largest spoonbill colony in Western Europe. More than 400 pairs breed in De Geul, which is unique! The spoonbill is a large white bird and has a long and spoon-shaped bill, an orange-yellow patch on the breast and a drooping crest. With their beak, they ‘spoon’ food out of the water by moving their beak back and forth. You can see the spoonbill in the Netherlands from February to October, when they come here to breed. Then they fly back to their winter destination along the West African coast. There are now three colonies on Texel in National Park Dunes of Texel: in the Geul (the largest spoonbill colony in the Netherlands), the Muy and the Schorren. You can also find spoonbills in De Slufter.

5. Godwit

The Godwit is an important bird for the island and the national bird of the Netherlands. Nowhere in Europe are there as many godwits as in the Netherlands. On Texel, there is even a nature centre named after it, ‘De Marel’, which is the Texel word for godwit. The godwit is a meadow bird, which means they breed in meadows and fields. Godwits have long legs and a straight beak and belong to the waders. First eggs are laid at the end of March and from July godwits migrate back towards the warmer south. They often fly all the way to Senegal south of the Sahara. Want to see the black-tailed godwit for yourself? You have the chance to encounter them in several places in the National Park and Waalenburg. Take a nice walk through De Slufter or take a look at De Mokbaai, there is a good chance of seeing them there! Also look carefully in the meadows around you, they might just suddenly appear there.

There are many more typical Texel migratory birds, such as the avocet, coot, wheatear, nightjar, which can be admired every year on Texel. Discover the hen harrier, curlew, great crested plover, little tern and short-eared owl by joining the Bird excursion to the Slufter.

Will you spot the entire Big Five during your holiday?

More about animals on Texel