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The black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix), also known as northern black grouse, Eurasian black grouse, blackgame or blackcock, [4] is a large game bird in the grouse family. It is a sedentary species , spanning across the Palearctic in moorland and steppe habitat when breeding, often near wooded areas.
The genus Lyrurus was introduced in 1832 by the English naturalist William John Swainson with the black grouse as the type species. [1] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek lura meaning "lyre" with -ouros meaning "-tailed".
Grouse are game, and hunters kill millions each year for food, sport, and other uses. In the United Kingdom, this takes the form of driven grouse shooting. The male black grouse's tail feathers are a traditional ornament for hats in areas such as Scotland and the Alps. Folk dances from the Alps to the North American prairies imitate the ...
The black grouse is one of the fastest declining birds in the UK and have moved further north due to climate change. Footage shows endangered black grouse mating ritual on shooting range Skip to ...
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As with many gamebirds, the cock (male) is larger than the hen (female), measuring 50–55 cm compared to her length of 37–42 cm. The cock is very distinctive, with all-black plumage, apart from red eyebrows, and a long, deeply forked tail. The female Caucasian grouse is grey with dark barring, and has a cackling call. [2]
The last UK-wide survey of black grouse was carried out in 2005, and it estimated the overall population at 5,100 males, with 3,400 in Scotland, 1,500 in England and 200 in Wales.
The genus name is the Latin word for a game bird, probably a black grouse. [2] The black grouse was included by Linnaeus in the genus Tetrao but is now placed in the genus Lyrurus. [1] [3] The type species was designated as the western capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) by George Robert Gray in 1840. [4] [5]