Red Grouse

     The Red Grouse is a member of the Grouse family which is found in heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland. It’s usually considered the British race of the Willow Ptarmigan, but it’s a separate species. The Red Grouse is also known as the Moorcock, the Moorfowl or the Moorbird.

     The Red grouse is mainly differentiated from the Willow Ptarmigan and the Rock Ptarmigan by its plumage being reddish brown. It also lacks the white winter plumage, which is a characteristic of all Ptarmigan species. Female Red grouse are lighter in color than males, with more yellow on the feather edges and generally appear more cryptic. While, males are darker and redder with pale-edged feathers and display a bright red eyebrow in the breeding season.

     Red grouse begin to form pairs during the autumn and males become increasingly territorial as winter progresses. The female lays about 6 – 9 eggs, mainly in April and May that hatch after about three weeks. Red grouse chicks stay with both birds for six weeks and start their first flying trials after 13 days.