RED GROUSE 
of the body are very bright uniform light chestnut, and the feathers of the 
upperparts are fringed and spotted at the extremity with yellowish -buff. 
This male was an old bird when shot, and had assisted in rearing 
several broods. 
Distribution in the British Isles. — ^The red grouse is peculiar to the British 
Isles. It is generally distributed over the moors of Scotland, being found 
from sea-level to the highest point where ling {Calluna) and heath {Erica) 
flourish. It is also found in the Inner and most of the Outer Hebrides and 
ranges as far north as the Orkneys, being met with on the Mainland and 
other islands where suitable ground occurs. 
In England it is numerous in the northern counties, especially in York- 
shire and Derbyshire, and extends southwards into Staffordshire and 
Shropshire ; while in Wales it is plentiful on most of the moors. In Ireland 
it is much less numerous, but occurs on most of the moorlands and peat- 
bogs. On the Continent the red grouse has been successfully introduced in 
Belgium and West Germany. 
Allied species. — The nearly allied willow -grouse or Ryper {Lagopus lagopus)^ 
is a circumpolar species inhabiting the tundras of the northern portions 
of Europe, Asia and America. It is easily distinguished from the red 
grouse by its white flight -feathers, and by the fact that in winter its 
plumage is pure white, with the exception of the black outer tail- 
feathers, which remain unchanged. In its summer -plumage, which is 
very fully assumed by the birds inhabiting the more temperate parts of 
its range, such as South Norway, the male willow -grouse, except for 
its white primaries, closely resembles the male red grouse in winter- 
summer -plumage; but in birds found in higher latitudes, much of the 
white body-plumage of winter is retained in the breeding -season, and 
merely interspersed here and there with summer -feathers. 
The female willow -grouse, whether inhabiting the far north or the more 
southern parts of its range, always assumes a very complete breeding - 
dress, and is very similar to the female red grouse in summer -plumage, 
except that the flight -feathers are always white. 
It is an interesting fact that in quite young willow-grouse the first flight- 
feathers are greyish -brown, mottled with buff, and very similar to those 
of the young red grouse. 
Food. — Grouse feed chiefly on the young shoots of the ling, supplemented 
in autumn by various berries and fruits to be found on the moors. In some 
districts, especially, they are partial to a diet of oats, and visit the stooks 
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