The RSPB manages a large reserve at the south-west end of the island covering 1,200 hectares of machair, dune, beach and croftland. The headline species is the corncrake, a secretive rail that has all but vanished from the British mainland but still breeds on Coll in good numbers.
Other birds you may see include lapwing, redshank, snipe, twite, and the resident hen harriers and short-eared owls. There are paths and a small information board near Totronald; do not enter the long grass during the May–August breeding season. A visit at sunset in late spring, listening for that distinctive crex crex call, is one of the more memorable wildlife experiences in Scotland.