Seabirds such as Gannets and Puffins breed abundantly on the cliffs, and nearby Bempton Cliffs has an RSPB reserve. Because it projects into the sea, Flamborough attracts many bird migrants in autumn, and is also a key point for observing passing seabirds. When the winds are in the east, many birders watch for seabirds from below the lighthouse, or later in the autumn comb the hedges and valleys for landbird migrants.
The naval Battle of Flamborough Head of the American Revolutionary War was fought just off the coast here in 1779.