Compact, heavily built game birds of the Northern Hemisphere, from arctic tundra to pine forest, moorland and mountains. Their feathered legs and toes help them walk on snow and burrow into it for shelter. Many males display in groups (leks) at dawn and dusk.
Quick answers
What is it?Bird
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Daytime
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?Yes
A game bird: hunters kill millions each year for food and sport.
At a glance
Found inEurope, Asia, North America, Arctic
HabitatForest, Mountains, Polar
ColoursBrown, Black, Red
SizeMedium
Length31–115 cm
Weight0.3–6.5 kg
Legs2
Covered inFeathers
Lives ingroups
Lives for3–8 years
Can fly
Lays eggs
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Temperate and subarctic North America, Europe and Asia, as far north as 83°N.
- What it eats
- Buds, catkins, leaves and twigs make up over 95% of adults’ food; chicks eat mostly insects.
Did you know
Burrows into snow for shelter, and males show off inflatable, brightly coloured skin patches.
In all but two or three species, males mate with several females.
Grouse make up a large share of the animal biomass in the Arctic and subarctic.
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