The red grouse (Lagopus scotica) is a medium-sized bird in the grouse tribe which is found in heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland.
It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the willow grouse (Lagopus lagopus) but is now considered to be a separate species. It is also known as the moorcock, moorfowl or moorbird. Lagopus is derived from Ancient Greek (), meaning "hare", + (), "foot", in reference to the feathered feet and toes typical of this cold-adapted genus, and scotica means "of Scotland".
The red grouse is the emblem of the journal British Birds. The red grouse is also the logo of The Famous Grouse whisky and an animated bird is a character in a series of its advertisements.
thumb|Red grouse eggs
Description
The red grouse is distinguished from the willow grouse and rock ptarmigan by its reddish brown plumage being present all year, lacking any white winter plumage or white wing feathers. The tail is black and the legs are white. There are white stripes on the underwings and red crests above the eyes. Females are less reddish than the males and have less prominent crests. Juveniles are duller and lack the red crests.
Birds in Ireland are sometimes thought to be a separate subspecies L. l. hibernica, but this is not currently accepted as distinct.
Distribution and habitat
The red grouse is endemic to Britain and Ireland. It evolved in isolation from other subspecies of the willow grouse which are widespread in northern parts of Eurasia and North America.
It is found across most parts of Scotland, including Orkney, Shetland and most of the Outer Hebrides; it is only absent from urban areas, such as in the Central Belt, and other coastal lowlands in the south and east.
There are sporadic populations in Wales, but their range has retracted. They are now largely absent from the far south, their main strongholds being Snowdonia, the Brecon Beacons and the Cambrian Mountains. and on the County Antrim plateau, with other healthy populations in the Slieve Bloom Mountains and the Knockmealdown Mountains; There is still a small population in the Wicklow Mountains in southern County Dublin.
The small population in the Isle of Man is mostly concentrated in the southern hills but conservation work is ongoing throughout the uplands to ensure the species' continued viability.
Its typical habitat is upland heather moorland with the absence of trees. It can also be found in some low-lying bogs, and birds sometimes visit farmland during harsh winter weather, where they will sometimes eat hawthorn berries in hedgerows.
The British population is estimated at 250,000 pairs with around 1–5,000 pairs in Ireland. A decline in population numbers has been observed in recent years, with birds now absent from areas where they were previously common. The primary causes for the decline include the loss of heather due to overgrazing, establishment of new conifer plantations and a decline in the number of upland gamekeepers.
The species was introduced to Exmoor in the 1820s and Dartmoor in 1915–1916; the Exmoor population now appears to be extinct, with the last birds sighted as recently as 2009, but it is still present on Dartmoor. on the conservation of wild birds (popularly called the Birds Directive) to take necessary measures to protect the red grouse; however, as it is a species listed in Annex II of the Directive, Article 7 allows for hunting under national law, provided that it does not threaten population levels. In 2002, Ireland was found by the European Court of Justice to be in breach of its obligations under an earlier Birds Directive to protect the red grouse by allowing an important breeding site to become degraded through overgrazing by sheep. Conservation measures taken as a result of the judgment have doubled the population in the area from c.400 to 800.
As a game bird
250px|right|thumb|Controlled burning of heather, on a Derbyshire grouse moor
The red grouse is considered a game bird and is shot in large numbers during the shooting season, which traditionally begins on August 12, known as the Glorious Twelfth. There is vigorous competition between some London restaurants to serve freshly shot grouse on August 12, with birds being flown in from the moors and cooked within hours.
thumb|left|Grouse grit
Shooting can take the form of 'walked up' (where shooters walk across the moor to flush grouse and shoot) or 'driven' (where grouse are driven, often in large numbers, by 'beaters' towards the guns who are hiding behind a line of 'butts'). Many moors are managed to increase densities of grouse. Areas of heather are subjected to controlled burning to allow the regeneration of fresh young shoots, which are considered a preferred food source for grouse. Extensive predator control is another feature of grouse moor management: foxes, stoats and crows are usually heavily controlled on grouse moors. The extent to which this is done on grouse moors is a subject of considerable debate between conservation groups and shooting interests, and attracts much media attention in relation to grouse moors and shooting.
In recent decades the practice of using medicated grit and direct dosing of birds against an endoparasite, the strongyle worm or threadworm (Trichostrongylus tenuis), has become part of the management regime on many moors.
As food
As with most other game birds, the flavour of grouse meat is enhanced if the bird is hung for several days after being shot and before being eaten. Roasting is the most common method of cooking a grouse.
The Cookery Book of Lady Clark of Tillypronie (1909) has 11 recipes for using grouse. The recipe "To cook old birds" is as follows: