Red Grouse

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Scientific name:  Lagopus lagopus scoticus

Size:  Up to 40cm

Distribution:  Found in the north and western areas of the UK.  Absent from the south east of England

Months seen:  All year round

Habitat:  Found in heather moorland

Food:  Heather, seeds, berries and invertebrates

Special features:  Red Grouse are stocky, medium sized, short-tailed game birds.  The females have very speckled brown plumage, while the males have a darker red-brown plumage.  In springtime the males have vivid crimson coloured eye wattles.  The legs and feet are fully feathered to protect these birds from the harsh weather conditions they endure in winter on exposed moorland.

Red Grouse were once believed to be a species unique to the UK, but it has since been determined that these are a local race of the Scandinavian Willow Grouse.

Related Pages

• UK Safari Bird Section
• What's Out Now?