The red grouse (Lagopus scotica) is a medium-sized bird in the grouse tribe which is found in heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the willow grouse (Lagopus lagopus) but is now considered to be a separate species. It is also known as the moorcock, moorfowl or moorbird. Lagopus is derived from Ancient Greek lagos (λαγος), meaning "hare", + pous (πους), "foot", in reference to the feathered feet and toes typical of this cold-adapted genus, and scotica means "of Scotland". The red grouse is the emblem of the journal British Birds. The red grouse is also the logo of The Famous Grouse whisky and an animated bird is a character in a series of its advertisements.
Description The red grouse is distinguished from the willow grouse and rock ptarmigan by its reddish brown plumage being present all year, lacking any white winter plumage or white wing feathers. The tail is black and the legs are white. There are white stripes on the underwings and red crests above the eyes. Females are less reddish than the males and have less prominent crests. Juveniles are duller and lack the red crests. Birds in Ireland are sometimes thought to be a separate subspecies L. s. hibernica, but this is not currently accepted as distinct. They are slightly paler than those in Britain and the females have yellower plumage with more finely barred underparts. This may be an adaptation to camouflage them in moorland with more grass and sedge growth and less heather. It is audially identified by its 'chut!chut!chut!chut!chut!chuttt....' call, or the 'Goback, goback, goback' vocalisation. The wings make a whirring sound when the bird is disturbed from a resting place. Grouse populations exhibit periodic cycles in which the population peaks to very high densities before crashing and recovering a few years later. The main causative agent of this cyclical pattern is thought to be the parasitic nematode worm Trichostrongylus tenuis. However, V. C. Wynne-Edwards suggests that the primary cause of mortality in grouse populations is homeostasis, which is largely dependent on food availability, and that the 'Grouse disease', due to the parasitic worm Trichostrongylus tenuis is a misdiagnosis of the after-effects of social exclusion.
Distribution and habitat The red grouse is endemic to Britain and Ireland. It evolved in isolation from other subspecies of the willow grouse which are widespread in northern parts of Eurasia and North America. It 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, and other coastal lowlands in the south and east. There are sporadic populations in Wales, but their range has retracted. They are now largely absent from the far south, their main strongholds being Snowdonia, the Brecon Beacons and the Cambrian Mountains. In England it is mainly found in the north, in Northumberland, County Durham, the Lake District, much of Yorkshire, the Pennines and the Peak District, as far south as the Staffordshire Moorlands; Welsh spillover birds also visit and breed in the Shropshire Hills such as Long Mynd. In Ireland it can be found locally in most higher altitude parts of the country; it is most common in County Mayo, where the population is increasing, and on the County Antrim plateau, with other healthy populations in the Slieve Bloom Mountains and the Knockmealdown Mountains; There is still a small population in the Wicklow Mountains in southern County Dublin. The small population in the Isle of Man is mostly concentrated in the southern hills but conservation work is ongoing throughout the uplands to ensure the species' continued viability. Its typical habitat is upland heather moorland with the absence of trees. It can also be found in some low-lying bogs, and birds sometimes visit farmland during harsh winter weather, where they will sometimes eat hawthorn berries in hedgerows. The British population is estimated at 250,000 pairs with around 1–5,000 pairs in Ireland. A decline in population numbers has been observed in recent years, with birds now absent from areas where they were previously common. The primary causes for the decline include the loss of heather due to overgrazing, establishment of new conifer plantations and a decline in the number of upland gamekeepers. The species was introduced to Exmoor in the 1820s and Dartmoor in 1915–1916; the Exmoor population now appears to be extinct, with the last birds sighted as recently as 2009, but it is still present on Dartmoor. An introduced population in Suffolk died out in the early 20th century. Red grouse were also introduced to the Hautes Fagnes region of Belgium but the population there died out in the early 1970s.
Behaviour
Diet The adult red grouse is primarily herbivorous, feeding mainly on the shoots, seeds and flowers of heather. It will also eat berries, cereal crops and sometimes insects.
Breeding Pair formation among birds begins in autumn, with males becoming increasingly territorial as winter progresses. The nest is a shallow scrape measuring up to 20 cm (7.9 in) wide which is lined with vegetation. About six to nine eggs are laid, mainly during April and May. They are oval, shiny and pale yellow with dark brown spots. The eggs incubate for 19 to 25 days, the chicks are able to fly within 12 to 13 days. They are fully grown after 30 to 35 days.
Conservation The Member States of the European Union are required by Council Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds (popularly called the Birds Directive) to take necessary measures to protect the red grouse; however, as it is a species listed in Annex II of the Directive, Article 7 allows for hunting under national law, provided that it does not threaten population levels. In 2002, Ireland was found by the European Court of Justice to be in breach of its obligations under an earlier Birds Directive to protect the red grouse by allowing an important breeding site to become degraded through overgrazing by sheep. Conservation measures taken as a result of the judgment have doubled the population in the area from c.400 to 800.
As a game bird
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