From Opus

Photo by IanF
Location: Langdon Common, Teesdale, England.
subspecies scoticus, Red Grouse

Photo by steenl
Photo taken: Denali National Park - Alaska.

Alternative name: Willow Grouse

Lagopus lagopus

Includes: Red Grouse

[edit] Identification

Summer male - chestnut brown head and neck, white belly splashed with brown, black tail feathers and red eyebrows.

Winter male - entirely white, black eyes, bill and outer tail and red eyebrow. The feet of the bird are heavily feathered and act much like snow shoes.

Summer female - mottled brown (less reddish than the male) with some white on the belly.

Winter female - identical to the winter male.

Scoticus does not have a white winter plumage.

[edit] Distribution

North America, British Isles, Northern Europe and Northern Asia.

[edit] Taxonomy

Subspecies scoticus by some considered full species, Red Grouse, ranging in U.K. and Ireland.

[edit] Habitat

Tundra, thickets with alder and willow trees, open forests and shrub meadows high in the mountains where the temperature is colder.

[edit] Behaviour

The diet includes leaves and shoots of plants, especially willow and birch; also berries, seeds and insects.

The nest is a hollowed out area on the ground lined with feathers and grass, sheltered by rocks or logs. 7-10 eggs are laid; the male guards the area while the female incubates the eggs for about 21 days. The only Grouse with male parental care; males have been known to attack grizzly bears.

[edit] External Links