Britain: blessed with the finest grouse?
When we talk about grouse, we are invariably speaking about our native red grouse, Lagopus lagopus, regarded by many as the king of gamebirds.
There are, however, no fewer than 17 species of grouse in the world, all in the northern hemisphere, most of which offer their own special sporting challenge.
Does the red grouse really deserve its number one slot?
Red grouse/willow grouse
The most widely distributed of all the grouse species, the willow grouse can be found in an almost unbroken band right round the northern hemisphere.
Britain’s red grouse was once regarded as a full species in its own right, but ornithologists eventually lumped it in with the willow grouse.
The two are virtually identical in every aspect except for plumage. Red grouse remain a shade of red in every plumage, but the willow grouse turns white in
