Tetrao tetrix - Black Grouse
Feather characters. Barbules are extremely long (3.1-3.6 mm) and divided into pigmented nodes and partly pigmented (less than 50%) internodes. Both vase- and ring-shaped nodes are present. Nodes are equally distributed along the entire length of barbules (15.2-25.6 per mm). Ring shaped nodes are present on basal- and middle- section of basal barbules. Some nodes become detached and form groups. These multiple nodes may be hard to find. Towards distal part, nodes abruptly decrease in size and become vase shaped. They are all about the same size, slightly decreasing towards distal end. Villi are absent and internodes are occasionally kinked. Prongs are absent.
Field characters. Size 40-55 cm. Weight: male 1255 g (1000-1400), female 9100 g (765-1050) (Dunning, 1993). Male is unmistakable, with glossy black plumage, lyre-shaped tail, and conspicuous white undertail and wing-bar. Female is warm brown, freckled and barred black, with distinct whitish wing-bar and forked tail; it is larger and less ruddy than Red Grouse (Lagopus lagopus, not included in BRIS), smaller and less richly and strongly barred than Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus, not included in BRIS). Both sexes with red, bare patch above eyes. Male in eclipse plumage is dirty brown, mottled dark above; throat white. Juvenile like female but smaller.
Voice. Call of male during communal display at the lek is a sneezing "to-wha" or "whushee"; song is a musical, bubbling, dove-like phrase. The hen produces a loud "tchuk-tchuk".
Distribution. Continuing decline in many areas but locally still fairly common. Map: see MapIt.
Habitat. A grouse that haunts fringes of moorland, grassland, woodland, steppe, bogs, where scattered groups of trees are present.
Food. Feeds mainly on plant material, such as catkins of birches, buds and needles of Scots pine, stems and berries of bilberry, heather, and grasses.