AN INSIGHT INTO THE LIFE OF A RARE SCOTTISH BIRD

By Kenny Smith - 14th May 2018

Politicians and school pupils have been given a rare insight into the recovery of one of Scotland’s most loved and rarest birds – the black grouse.

Murdo Fraser MSP joined landowners, Scottish Natural Heritage and government officials and Ardvreck School pupils for a tour around Strathbraan in Perthshire, which houses important numbers of black grouse.

The black grouse is a red-listed species, with Scotland holding most of the UK population and, at this time of year, males fight to display at the best ‘lek’ sites in a bid to attract females.

Attendees at the first ever open day hosted by Tayside and Central Scotland Moorland Group, learned how careful land stewardship had seen populations rebound in the area.

They were also driven through the local glen to see populations of endangered wading birds, with Strathbraan defined as ‘nationally important’ for red-listed species such as the curlew: Britain’s most urgent conservation priority.

Gamekeepers described how habitat management and the legal control of abundant predators had helped to increase the survival of rarer species such as black game and waders.

On one of the visited estates, a 20-year programme of woodland planting, grazing reduction, rotational heather burning, predator and bracken control had seen black grouse rise from very low numbers to around 50 male black grouse.

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Iconic Scottish bird continues to thrive in Highland Perthshire

Last modified: 29 March 2017 

Last year in highland Perthshire, one of Scotland’s most iconic birds, the black grouse, had another successful year and people have the opportunity to go to special events to see them this spring.

The Perthshire Black Grouse Study Group has been monitoring the black grouse population in highland Perthshire since 1990. Thirty dedicated volunteers1 check all suitable habitat and count numbers of black grouse within seven 10 km squares. That’s an area of 70,000 hectares, roughly spanning across from Kinloch Rannoch to Kirkmichael and from Aberfeldy up to Blair Atholl. Between mid-March and mid-May, volunteers make at least two visits at dawn to count ‘lekking’ males2 providing crucial information about how well the birds are doing.

This spring, RSPB Scotland, the John Muir Trust and Dun Coillich Project will be running lek viewing events near Schiehallion to offer people the chance to see these magnificent birds.

Lauren Shannon, RSPB Scotland Community Engagement Officer said: “Watching a black grouse lek is a must see wildlife experience – with extravagant displays and competitive sparring amid bubbling calls that carry across the hill. These partnership events are a great chance to see this impressive lekking display and learn more about it.”

Despite national declines in numbers of black grouse, in highland Perthshire they have bounced back and numbers have been increasing since 2002. The area is now a stronghold for this species due to its mosaic of habitats with recent studies showing that they are responding well to native tree planting in the region3.



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Black grouse spotted at Stanley Moss restored bog

29 January 2016

A restored peat bog - bought by a wildlife trust for £1 four years ago - has become home to an endangered bird.

Six black grouse have been spotted at the Stanley Moss Nature Reserve in County Durham, which was acquired and restored by Durham Wildlife Trust.

The grouse is on the RSPB's "red list", meaning the species is globally endangered.

Ian Brown from the trust said the birds' presence was a "great indicator" of how the habitat was being managed.

The land between Sunniside and Stanley Crook, which was turned back into a blanket bog habitat in 2012, is also home to snipe and hares.

Mr Brown said the black grouse population was "a strong testament to the work of members and volunteers".

"Hopefully, this group is significant enough to become a viable breeding population," he said.

The loss of the birds' natural habitat of farmland and and moorland has contributed to the decline in their numbers, the RSPB says.

Source   

Endangered birds make a comeback in Wales

Section Environment | Published on 19 Jun 2014

Rare birds thought to be in danger of extinction are making a comeback in Wales.

The number of rare black grouse in a part of north Wales is almost back to 2011 record breaking high numbers (328 lekking males were counted) thanks to work to protect them and improve their habitat.

In north Wales, there were only around 140 displaying black grouse males left in 1980s and the extinction of one of Wales’s most enigmatic bird seemed likely.

But recent dawn surveys by staff from Natural Resources Wales, RSPB Cymru, Denbighshire County Council and many other organisations, has revealed that almost 320 lekking males were counted this spring. So following two years of lower counts (2012 there were 297 counted and in 2013, 249 were counted), black grouse numbers seem to be making a comeback.

The bird has been in serious decline and had disappeared from all of south and most of mid-Wales by 2000, matching declines in England and other parts of western Europe.

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Strutting their stuff! Incredible images reveal rare black grouse impressing female birds with their mating rituals in Scotland

Photographer James Moore, 42, captured the bizarre mating ritual in rural Aberdeenshire at dawn earlier this week

The practice involves males competing with each other on a patch of territory known as a lek - an area 65ft (20m) 

Over the course of two hours, males puff themselves up, strut around, leap into the air, and square up to each other

The dominant bird, which secures the centre of the lek, is marked out as the alpha male and has his pick of females

The black grouse, one of the most threatened species in the UK, has suffered a dramatic decline in recent decades

By ELLIE ZOLFAGHARIFARD

PUBLISHED: 12:11, 11 April 2014 | UPDATED: 12:19, 11 April 2014

At the crack of dawn, gangs of black grouse put on one of the Scottish Highland's most bizarre spectacles.

Over the course of two hours, endangered male grouse puff themselves up, strut around, leap into the air, and square up to each other in an attempt to impress the watching females.

The black grouse is one of only three British species to exhibit this strange 'lekking' ritual behaviour.

Spring has arrived in the Scottish Highlands and the aggressive mating rituals of the black grouse have begun. The bird, native to Scotland, is one of only three British species which exhibits 'lekking' behaviour

THE MATING RITUAL

The practice involves males competing with each other on a patch of territory known as a lek - a circular area roughly 65ft (20m).

Within this space, five to ten male birds battle it out to dominate the centre of the circle and show off their skills.

Once the hens arrive, the atmosphere becomes hostile - the males jumped at each other, 'crashing around like dodgems'.

The dominant bird, which secures the centre of the lek, is marked out as the alpha male. Calls and posturing are then used to attract a mate.

In contrast to this lavish display, the females known as ‘greyhens’, remain camouflaged in their habitat.

The practice involves males competing with each other on a patch of territory known as a lek - a circular area roughly 65ft (20m).

Within this space, five to ten male birds battle it out to dominate the centre of the circle and show off their skills.

‘The males started to gather around the lek when it was still dark,’ he said. ‘All I could hear was them babbling and cooing at each other.

Read more and see copyrighted photos:

Rare black grouse making a comeback thanks to warm summer

A RARE breed of bird is making a comeback thanks to this year’s warm summer.

The black grouse, once common across much of England but now confined to the upland moors of Northumberland, County Durham, Cumbria and North Yorkshire, has enjoyed a record-breaking breeding season this year.

Experts say the success is down to the warm, dry conditions in June, which created an abundance of insects for the young chicks.

The annual breeding count has revealed that each hen has produced more than four chicks on average and some were spotted with 10 or 11 young.

Dr Phil Warren, specialist with the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust said: "This is all in stark contrast to last year when breeding productivity was appalling and one sample of 35 hens found only raised seven chicks between them.

"Last year it was cold and wet and this year it has been warm and dry. Warm dry conditions mean an abundance of insects such as sawfly larvae which young chicks depend on when they first hatch".

He added: "This bumper breeding is extremely encouraging".

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New Black grouse lek found in the Ochil Hills

Second lek in Ochil Hills

May 2013. A new black grouse lek has been discovered inside the boundary of young woodland at the Woodland Trust Scotland's Glen Devon sites in the Ochil Hills. There are now two active leks within Glen Devon, the first of which was found to be active in 2012. 

Site manager Gary Bolton said: "By restricting grazing and establishing large areas of new native woodland alongside open ground we have created good conditions for black grouse and many other birds, such as short eared owls, goldfinches and common whitethroats. Black grouse numbers are increasing but still relatively small at the moment, hopefully their numbers will continue to rise as the habitat improves."

Spring lek

Male black grouse gather at leks during spring, squaring off in an incredible display using their lyre shaped tails to compete for the best spots to attract females. In recent years habitat loss and overgrazing have resulted in a severe population decline, making black grouse a species of high conservation concern.

Woodland creation in Glen Devon has been supported through the Scottish Forest Alliance. The new native woodland at Glen Sherup, Glen Quey and Geordie's Wood covers an area of 1,233ha, of which 30 per cent is open ground habitat.

The Woodland Trust Scotland is working with and seeking best management practice guidance in relation to enhancing black grouse habitat in the area from organisations including Scottish Natural Heritage, RSPB Scotland, and Black Grouse UK.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/ochil-lek.html