Red Grouse

It feeds on heather and can be found on upland heathlands and moorland; it’s often spotted as it’s flushed from the heather, suddenly flying upwards with rapid, whirring wing-beats. There are actually two subspecies of red grouse: Lagopus lagopus scotia (the red grouse of the British Isles) and Lagopus lagopus lagopus (the willow grouse of Scandinavia and Alaska).

How to Identify

Unmistakeable: red grouse are entirely rich gingery-brown in colour with a black tail and red eyebrows.

Where to find

Lives on heather moorlands in North and South West England, Wales and Scotland.

How People Can Help

Red grouse populations are in decline due to the loss of their natural, heathland habitats. Over the last 50 years up to 40% of heather moorland has been lost to commercial forestry and overgrazing. The Wildlife Trusts are working to restore and protect our heaths by promoting good management, clearing encroaching scrub and implementing beneficial grazing regimes. This work is vital if our heathland habitats are to survive; you can help by supporting your local Wildlife Trust and becoming a member or volunteer.

Did you know?

The red grouse is the ‘Famous Grouse’ that appears on whisky bottles. The grouse brand was born in 1896 in Scotland and deliberately named after an iconic Scottish bird but it was the popularity of it that inspired the makers to add ‘Famous’ to the title.