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Black Grouse

Lyrurus tetrix

Not yet photographed by the community

Males have lyre-shaped tail; bubbling lek display at dawn.

Species Profile

Red List (Birds of Conservation Concern)

Lifespan: 8–10 years in the wild
Size & Weight: 40–55 cm, wingspan 65–80 cm; males 900–1,100 g, females 700–900 g
Habitat: Open moorland, heathland, and upland areas with scattered birch and conifer woodland, typically above 300 m elevation.
UK Distribution: Resident breeder in upland regions of northern England, Scotland, and Wales; populations have declined significantly and are now concentrated in the Scottish Highlands and Pennines.
Diet: Herbivorous; feeds on bilberry, heather, pine shoots, and buds; chicks eat insects initially before switching to plant matter.
Predators: Golden eagles, hen harriers, red foxes, stoats, and corvids (crows and ravens); eggs and chicks vulnerable to crows and foxes.
Mating Season: March to May
Breeding: Clutch of 6–10 eggs, incubation period 24–26 days, one brood per year; females alone incubate and rear chicks.
Behaviour: Males are highly territorial and perform elaborate dawn display flights ('lek') with distinctive wing clapping and vocalizations. Females are solitary and cryptically coloured; males are striking with jet-black plumage and lyre-shaped tail feathers. Gregarious in winter, forming small flocks.

Did You Know?

•Male black grouse produce a distinctive mechanical 'whip-crack' sound during flight displays by snapping their tail feathers together.
•Leks are traditional display grounds used year after year, sometimes for decades, passed down through generations.
•The UK population has declined by over 90% in the past 50 years due to habitat loss and land management changes.
•Males have iridescent blue-black plumage and prominent white undertail coverts, whereas females are mottled brown and easily confused with red grouse.
•Black grouse are closely related to capercaillie and are part of the grouse family (Phasianidae).

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