Page 148 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

GAMEBIRDS
Order Galliformes Family Tetraonidae Species Lagopus lagopus
Willow Grouse red over eye
thick
black
bill
rich red-brown body
MALE
(SUMMER) WINTER (female yellow-brown,
more marbled)
white dark scaly
wings
black bars
white tail
wings
IN FLIGHT
thick bill
white
belly

all-white MALE
body
(SUMMER)
WINTER

thickset, small-headed, round-bodied, chicken-like bird of moor
A and heath, the Willow Grouse is extensively shot for sport but,
unlike the Pheasant, not reared and released. Small groups keep well
out of sight until flushed at close range.The British and Irish race is FLIGHT: explosive escape, then long, fast, low flight
distinctive, retaining an essentially unchanged plumage pattern all with whirring beats and long glides on arched wings.
year round. Grouse have declined
over many decades in most areas, SUBSPECIES
struggling to maintain high numbers L. l. scoticus
in a relatively artificial environment. (Great Britain, Ireland)
VOICE Remarkable, deep, staccato dark reddish
calls echo across moors, kau-kau-kau- brown
ka-ka-karrr-rrr-g’bak, g’bak, bak. dark wings
NESTING Sparsely lined scrape yellow-
on ground in heather; 6–9 eggs; brown
1 brood;April–May. MALE
FEEDING Plucks shoots and seeds
from heather while standing or PATCHY TRANSITION
walking slowly; also takes variety Moulting birds have a contrasted look; the dark head is the
of berries and seeds. last to go white in autumn, and first to turn brown in spring.
FEMALE
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
On heather moorland in Great
GREY PARTRIDGE PTARMIGAN 32 Britain and Ireland, most on places
see p.151 winter; see p.147 slimmer managed for shooting, rarely
bill
moving from breeding areas even
barred in hard winter weather. In northern
flanks
forests and clearings in Scandinavia
smaller
pale and extreme NE Europe.
brown
Seen in the UK
rusty sides of tail J F M A M JJ A S O N D
Length 37–42cm (14 1 ⁄2 –16 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 55–66cm (22–26in) Weight 650–750g (23–27oz)
Social Small flocks Lifespan Up to 7 years Status Secure
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