Pheasants and grouse · Gamebirds
Hazel Grouse
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Tetrastes bonasia
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How to recognize it
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Small, jackdaw-sized, plump silhouette
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Grey-brown, finely mottled plumage, low contrast at distance
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Male with black throat and short crest; red eye-ring
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In flight, grey tail with a black tip
About the species
The hazel grouse is a quiet woodland regular, easier to notice for its shy manner than for looks. It seems small and compact, stays low for much of the time, and when disturbed it slips into the branches and freezes there.
Its voice is a thin, high whistle, so you often hear it before you see it. When alarmed, it bursts away with a noisy flush, flies only a short distance, and then tries to disappear again.
It favors dense mixed woods with spruce, especially damp places with streams, gullies, and broken ground, and avoids open edges and sparse plantations. It feeds on the ground and in trees, taking berries, seeds, insects, buds, catkins, and tender shoots, and remains in the same area through the year.
Where to find
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In old parks with spruce and thick understory, listen for a thin whistle from the canopy — when startled, Hazel Grouse usually drops into the lower branches with a burst of wing noise.
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Along quiet wooded paths with deadfall and damp roadside edges, it feeds on the ground and may dash across the trail in a low, quick run.
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In wet low spots near streams, ditches, and uneven gullies, look for a brief flush followed by stillness in conifer cover.
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In winter spruce thickets with soft snow, fresh entry holes and little piles of droppings can reveal a hidden overnight snow burrow.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Tetrastes bonasia Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Hazel grouse Encyclopedia article