Black Grouse Breeding

Lek surveys across Scotland showed an appreciable increase in black grouse numbers during the spring of 2012, but the subsequent wet summer last year has surely had knock-on effects on successful reproduction.

Like red grouse, black grouse chicks are extremely vulnerable to periods of cold, wet weather, particularly in their first two or three weeks of life. There are already anecdotal reports of blackcock numbers struggling to hold their own, and some smaller leks have vanished altogether. It remains to be seen what the survey results will reveal for the 2013 season.

Broods of black grouse in Scotland tend to be made up of more chicks than broods in England, meaning that the birds could soon bounce back from last year’s disastrous weather given a mild, dry summer. 

Interestingly, birds in Scotland tend to live only half as long as their English counterparts – a sorry statistic apparently linked to more intensive gamekeeping south of the border. A blackcock in England might well live up to seven years in the wild, whereas a Scottish bird will struggle to make three years.

In some areas, increases in black grouse numbers are being linked to the expansion of native woodland. While there is no doubt that some trees are an advantage to the birds, it is hard to deny that sensitive upland agriculture, predator control and the sound management of heather moorland are the foundation for healthy black grouse populations.