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Sound clips and movies require Adobe Flash player. Latin nameLagopus lagopus FamilyGrouse (Tetraonidae) OverviewThe red grouse is a medium-sized game bird. It has a plump body, a short tail and a lightly hook-tipped bill. It is reddish-brown, with its legs and feet covered in pale feathers. Birds breed in the UK in the uplands of the north and west and are resident all year round, travelling very little in their lives. The population is declining, perhaps linked to diseases and the loss of heather moorland. Where to see themThe best place to see this bird is on upland heather moors, when is suddenly rockets up from the heather when disturbed to fly off with fast-whirring wingbeats. When to see themAll year round What they eatHeather, seeds, berries, insects Estimated numbers
* UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March. UK passage is the number of individuals passing through on migration in spring and/or autumn. Distribution
Please note that the map is only intended as a guide. It shows general distribution rather than detailed, localised populations. Find out moreAudio is from commercial recordings Bird Songs and Calls of Britain and Europe on 4 CDs or Bird Sounds of Europe & North-west Africa, copyright WildSounds & CEBA (www.wildsounds.com, (UK) +44 (0) 1263 741100) |
 Male  Female Similar birdsHelp the Red grouseJoin today and help us continue our conservation work to keep these birds safe. |
Moorland landscape with heather in August - Andy Hay (rspb-images.com, Ref: 2003-5469-009)
Male red grouse - Steve Round
Bird illustrations by Mike Langman (RSPB)