TABLE 1. The main study areas mentioned in the text.
ABOOK ON BRITISH GROUSE is timely, because recent research has clarified old problems and controversies.1 We offer some insights developed over two working lifetimes.
The four British grouse species occupy huge world ranges and have been studied in many countries, with millions of words written about them. We do not attempt to review this vast literature, but quote from it to give a worldwide perspective on the grouse of a small though varied corner of the globe.
Government policies can affect grouse, so politicians and others should have factual information. Grouse and their habitats are of much interest to hunters and game-dog enthusiasts, and to the many others involved in outdoor recreation. Grouse are also of great value in their own right as a beautiful part of nature. Let us care for them.
Most authors writing in English now use the name willow ptarmigan for what was often willow grouse, and rock ptarmigan for ptarmigan. The name red grouse is so well known that it would be confusing to call it willow ptarmigan.2 We use willow ptarmigan for races other than red grouse, and Lagopus lagopus for red grouse and willow ptarmigan together. For brevity we write ptarmigan when a section is clearly on rock ptarmigan. We use the old names blackcock and greyhen, and blackgame for both sexes of black grouse.
Distribution maps are readily available elsewhere (see Bibliography), and so we do not give them. Table 1 lists the main study areas mentioned in the text.
TABLE 1. The main study areas mentioned in the text.
