Black grouse  (Tetrao tetrix)

Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life at Nature Navigator.

Biology

The black grouse has a diet that varies throughout the year, but the shoots buds and fruit of bilberry and heather form staples. In the first three weeks of life, the young depend solely on invertebrate food (6).

Black grouse males gather at traditional sites in the morning to perform complex displays known as 'leks'. During the display, the males raise their tails and inflate their necks whilst producing the soft 'rookooing' call. Females sit in vegetation close to the lek to watch the performance. Males with the best display obtain dominance and gain access to more females (6). In early May between 6 and 11 yellow eggs are laid in a moss-lined scrape in the ground concealed by vegetation. The young hatch 25 days later, and are fully independent after a further 2-3 months (7).

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