Project Overview

The Red Grouse Lagopus scotica is the only species of bird endemic to Ireland and Great Britain. As one of the four members of the ptarmigan species group (genus Lagopus), it is highly adapted to cold, exposed environments and would have been one of the first animals to recolonise these islands after the retreat of the ice sheet around 13,000 years ago. The red grouse is now restricted as a non-migratory resident of open bogs, heath and upland habitats, where it feeds on coarse vegetation and nests on the ground. Unlike the other ptarmigan species which are found in Arctic and high-altitude environments across the northern hemisphere, the red grouse does not turn white in the winter - an adaptation for living in a comparatively warmer, snow-free climate.

In Ireland, the Red Grouse is genetically and physically different to those in Great Britain, further identifying it as a precious and unique member of the Irish faunal assemblage. Unfortunately, it is in steep decline and has been placed on the Irish Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern.

For the most part, this decline is due to habitat loss and fragmentation thanks to recent changes in how peatlands and upland environments have been managed, such as expansion of forestry and intense agriculture, peat extraction and increased livestock pressure. Increasing predation risk and human disturbance are further associated with these changes in land use and are likely to be compounding factors in the decline of the red grouse. However, while this species is well-studied on the managed moors of Great Britain, little is currently known about the ecology of Irish red grouse and how they react to these pressures in the landscape.

The current project

In collaboration with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), we aim to better understand the year-round ecology of red grouse across different Irish landscapes. Using GPS tracking technology on individual birds and drones with thermal imaging capability, we are focusing on:

• Landscape-scale population modelling: Using a drone to survey wide tracts of habitat, we aim to understand the drivers of grouse distribution and abundance across different landscapes.

• Individual habitat preferences within territories: Initial evidence unexpectedly suggests that some red grouse actively choose to use emergent forest and edge habitats despite increased danger from predators, suggesting that forestry may serve as an ecological trap for this species.

• Factors affecting breeding success: Food availability, disturbance, predators, disease and weather all affect the breeding success of red grouse. By monitoring nesting females through the breeding season, we aim to assess which are the most important pressures on productivity in different types of landscape used by grouse.

We hope that the results of this research will be able to inform policy and decisions around land use and management that will favour the conservation of red grouse in Ireland.

Fig 1. Upland landscape in County Kerry, where Red Grouse can still be found in patches of suitable vegetation

Fig 2. A female Red Grouse captured to attach a GPS tracking device, under licence. Detailed measurements and a DNA sample are also taken before release.

Fig 3. A Red Grouse nest, the eggs laid in a shallow depression amongst long heather. The female incubates them for 22 days before hatching. They are very vulnerable to predators at this stage.

Fig 4. Images of Red Grouse taken using a thermal-imaging drone. Above, a view from the thermal camera showing five grouse in a group which are warmer than the surrounding habitat. Below, images taken using the drone’s zoom camera showing that it is possible to tell the sex and age of the birds.

Project Team

Dr James O'Neill, UCC

Dr Paul Holloway, UCC

Dr Sinead Cummins, NPWS

Prof. John Quinn, UCC