Moorbird – Male Red Grouse

Moorbird. Male Red Grouse, with raised eyebrow wattles in moorland habitat. Derbyshire, Peak District National Park. This image was taken as part of an ongoing long term red grouse project. Grouse are often very flighty and nervous, but after spending so much time with the same birds, many of the grouse have become so relaxed that I am able to capture more natural behaviours and a range of unusual images.

Moorbird – About Red Grouse:

Relative of the willow grouse, found in the northern boreal forests, red grouse are found on open moorland in the upland areas of the British Isles. Highly competitive birds, the males compete primarily for areas of moorland rich in heather and bilberry bushes, ideal sites in which the female will produce a nest scrape for her eggs.

You can find more about red grouse here.