Red Deer
Cervus elaphus
Also known as: Western Red Deer, Elk, Wapiti, Corsicanus, Thyrrenian Red Deer
Habitat
Ground
Diet
PlantSeed
Active Time
Nocturnal
Size
165.0 kg
About This Species
Look in woodland edges, moorland and open glens across its wide range, where animals graze at forest margins and open ground, particularly around dawn and dusk. The autumn rut is the most dramatic time to observe them, when stags roar, spar and gather harems in open clearings, making cool, misty mornings in that season especially rewarding. Listen for the deep, resonant roaring call carrying across a valley as a sign that rutting activity is underway nearby.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Keep a substantial distance, at least 50 metres and considerably more during the rut, since stags are unpredictable and can charge with little warning when other stags or people intrude on a harem.
- Hunting seasons, culling regimes and protected status all vary significantly by country across its European, Asian and North American range, so local regulations should be checked before any close encounter is planned.
- Never approach on foot to photograph rutting stags, and give a wide berth to any animal that stops feeding and stares, since this is an early warning sign of stress.
Seasonal Activity
325,033 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Mammalia
- Order
- Artiodactyla
- Family
- Cervidae
Traits
- Diet
- PlantSeed
- Foraging
- Ground
- Activity
- Nocturnal
- Body mass
- 165.0 kg
- Home range
- 58.4 km²
Photo
(c) Jon J. Laysell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jon J. Laysell
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.