Family: Phasianidae
Across the wild uplands and forests of Europe, several species of grouse can be found. These plump birds, with their small heads, spend much of their time on the ground. However, when startled, they take flight, using their short, curved wings to execute rapid wingbeats followed by smooth glides.
In this bird identification guide, we will introduce you to four of Europe’s most common grouse. You may be lucky enough to spot them in locations ranging from the high peaks of the Alps to the vast pine forests of Scandinavia.
Willow Ptarmigan / Red Grouse
The Willow Ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) is one of the best-known grouse in Europe. In the UK, Willow Ptarmigan are almost always associated with heather moorland, where they feed and breed. If you walk across a moor, you’ll often hear their distinctive “go-back, go-back” call before you see them. They sometimes raise their heads above the heather to check for intruders.
Stocky and chicken-like in build, Willow Ptarmigan have a rich reddish-brown coloration all over, patterned with darker markings. Males are slightly brighter and display bold scarlet eyebrow wattles when excited.
In winter Willow Ptarmigan on the European mainland molt into a predominantly white plumage, with black tail feathers. This provides excellent camouflage against the snowy landscape.
Rock Ptarmigan
The Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) , closely related to the Willow Ptarmigan, is a true mountain bird. In Europe, they are commonly referred to simply as ptarmigan. These birds are found in the Scottish Highlands, the Alps, the Pyrenees, and throughout northern Scandinavia, where they are perfectly adapted to life in harsh, rocky uplands.
Rock Ptarmigan are renowned for their seasonal camouflage. In winter, they turn pure white, allowing them to blend seamlessly into the snow, with only their black eyes and tail remaining visible.
As spring arrives, grey and brown feathers begin to emerge, and by summer, their plumage becomes mottled grey while still retaining some white. However, even in midsummer, when they are startled and take flight, their white wings make them easy to spot against the landscape.
Black Grouse
Perhaps the most spectacular of our group is the Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix), which was once widespread across much of Europe but is now declining in many regions. You can find them in the uplands of Scotland, the Alps, Scandinavia, the Baltic States, and into central Europe, often on the edges of forests, in clearings, and around boggy ground.
Males are unmistakable, larger than Willow Ptarmigan, they are jet black with striking white wing markings, a white under-tail, and a dramatic lyre-shaped tail. In spring, they gather at dawn in communal display grounds known as leks. Here, males strut, fan their tails, and call with bubbling sounds to impress the females. The females are more camouflaged, featuring barred brown plumage, but in flight, they also exhibit a white wing bar.
Capercaillie
Finally, we have the giant of Europe’s grouse; the Capercaillie. Once extinct in Britain, it still exists in Scotland and is more widespread across Scandinavia, central, and eastern Europe, although declining in many locations.
Males are enormous, almost the size of a turkey. They primarily inhabit coniferous forests, often feeding high up in pine trees as well as on the ground. Their glossy black feathers, brown back, white-flecked belly, and heavy pale beak make them striking and unmistakable birds.
Females are smaller but still large compared to other grouse, with mottled brown plumage, paler underparts, and a warm orangey throat patch. When flushed, capercaillies power through the trees with long reddish tails and broad, plain wings. Normally very shy, some males are notorious for confronting intruders during the breeding season. Their song is one of the most extraordinary in the bird world; a strange accelerating series of clicks ending in a popping finale.
