 Red deer have a stronghold on the moor and can be seen on quiet hillsides in remote areas , particularly in the early morning . The Emperor of Exmoor , a red stag ( Cervus elaphus ) , was Britain 's largest known wild land animal , until it was killed in October 2010 . The moorland habitat is also home to hundreds of species of birds and insects . Birds seen on the moor include merlin , peregrine falcon , Eurasian curlew , European stonechat , dipper , Dartford warbler and ring ouzel . Black grouse and red grouse are now extinct on Exmoor , probably as a result of a reduction in habitat management , and for the former species , an increase in visitor pressure . 
