Six species of deer live freely in the British countryside. Only red deer and roe deer are truly indigenous. Fallow deer were almost certainly introduced by the Normans while three Asiatic species, Reeves’ muntjac, Chinese water deer and sika deer arrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The characteristics of each species make them well-suited to the habitats found across Britain and highly adaptable to environmental changes. Together they make a valuable contribution to biodiversity and are some of our most engaging British mammals.
Somewhat confusingly, the gender and offspring of deer species in the UK have different names.
Species |
Male |
Female |
Offspring |
Red deer | Stag | Hind | Calf |
Sika deer | Stag | Hind | Calf |
Roe deer | Buck | Doe | Kid |
Reeves’ muntjac deer | Buck | Doe | Fawn/Kid |
Fallow deer | Buck | Doe | Fawn |
Chinese water deer | Buck | Doe | Fawn |
Click below for details of native UK deer species.