Red Grouse
The Red Grouse is a medium-sized bird of the grouse family which is found in heather moorland in the UK and Ireland. It is endemic to the UK and has developed in isolation. It is usually classified as a sub-species of the Willow Ptarmigan or Willow Grouse which is found in birch and other forests and moorlands in north Europe, the tundra of Scandinavia, Siberia, Alaska and north Canada.
The Red Grouse is differentiated from the Willow Ptarmigan and Rock Ptarmigan by its plumage being reddish brown and not having a white winter plumage. The tail is black and the legs are white. There are white stripes on the underwing and red combs over the eye. Females are less reddish than the males and have less conspicuous combs. Young birds are duller and lack the red combs.
The Red Grouse is found across most parts of Scotland, including Orkney, Shetland and most of the Outer Hebrides. It is only absent from urban areas such as in the Central Belt. In Wales there are strong populations of Red Grouse in some places but the range has retracted. It is now largely absent from the far south and the main strongholds are Snowdonia, the Brecon Beacons and the Cambrian Mountains. In England the Red Grouse is mainly found in the north in areas such as the Lake District, Northumberland, County Durham, much of Yorkshire, the Pennines and the Peak District as far south as the Staffordshire Moorlands. There is an isolated introduced population on Dartmoor and overspill Welsh birds visit the Shropshire Hills.The typical habitat is upland heather moors away from trees. It can also be found in some low-lying bogs and birds may visit farmland during hard weather.
The UK population of the Red Grouse is estimated at about 250,000 pairs. Numbers have declined in recent years and it is now absent in areas where it was once common. Reasons for the decline include disease, loss of heather due to overgrazing, creation of new conifer plantations and a decline in the number of upland gamekeepers. Some predators feed on Red Grouse and there is ongoing controversy as to what effect these have on numbers.
The Red Grouse is herbivorous and feeds mainly on the shoots, seeds and flowers of heather. It will also feed on berries, cereal crops and sometimes insects.
The Red Grouse is considered a game bird and is shot in large numbers during the shooting season which traditionally starts on August 12th (known as the Glorious Twelfth). Shooting can take the form of “walked up” (where shooters walk across the moor to flush grouse and take a shot) or “driven” (where grouse are driven, often in large numbers, by “beaters” towards the shooters who are hiding behind a line of “butts”). Many moors are managed to increase the density of Red Grouse. Areas of heather are subjected to controlled burning since this allows fresh young shoots to regenerate which are favoured by Red Grouse. In addition, extensive predator control is a feature of grouse moor management and the extent and legality to which it occurs is hotly contested between conservation groups and shooting interests and the subject generates a lot of media attention.
The Red Grouse is widely known as the logo of The Famous Grouse whisky and an animated bird is a character in a series of its adverts. It is also the emblem of the magazine “British Birds”.
Date: 8th June 2012
Location: Lochindorb, Inverness-shire
The Red Grouse is differentiated from the Willow Ptarmigan and Rock Ptarmigan by its plumage being reddish brown and not having a white winter plumage. The tail is black and the legs are white. There are white stripes on the underwing and red combs over the eye. Females are less reddish than the males and have less conspicuous combs. Young birds are duller and lack the red combs.
The Red Grouse is found across most parts of Scotland, including Orkney, Shetland and most of the Outer Hebrides. It is only absent from urban areas such as in the Central Belt. In Wales there are strong populations of Red Grouse in some places but the range has retracted. It is now largely absent from the far south and the main strongholds are Snowdonia, the Brecon Beacons and the Cambrian Mountains. In England the Red Grouse is mainly found in the north in areas such as the Lake District, Northumberland, County Durham, much of Yorkshire, the Pennines and the Peak District as far south as the Staffordshire Moorlands. There is an isolated introduced population on Dartmoor and overspill Welsh birds visit the Shropshire Hills.The typical habitat is upland heather moors away from trees. It can also be found in some low-lying bogs and birds may visit farmland during hard weather.
The UK population of the Red Grouse is estimated at about 250,000 pairs. Numbers have declined in recent years and it is now absent in areas where it was once common. Reasons for the decline include disease, loss of heather due to overgrazing, creation of new conifer plantations and a decline in the number of upland gamekeepers. Some predators feed on Red Grouse and there is ongoing controversy as to what effect these have on numbers.
The Red Grouse is herbivorous and feeds mainly on the shoots, seeds and flowers of heather. It will also feed on berries, cereal crops and sometimes insects.
The Red Grouse is considered a game bird and is shot in large numbers during the shooting season which traditionally starts on August 12th (known as the Glorious Twelfth). Shooting can take the form of “walked up” (where shooters walk across the moor to flush grouse and take a shot) or “driven” (where grouse are driven, often in large numbers, by “beaters” towards the shooters who are hiding behind a line of “butts”). Many moors are managed to increase the density of Red Grouse. Areas of heather are subjected to controlled burning since this allows fresh young shoots to regenerate which are favoured by Red Grouse. In addition, extensive predator control is a feature of grouse moor management and the extent and legality to which it occurs is hotly contested between conservation groups and shooting interests and the subject generates a lot of media attention.
The Red Grouse is widely known as the logo of The Famous Grouse whisky and an animated bird is a character in a series of its adverts. It is also the emblem of the magazine “British Birds”.
Date: 8th June 2012
Location: Lochindorb, Inverness-shire
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Also in: Game birds
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