Common Hazel Grouse

The hazel grouse is a small (about the size of a partridge), very shy gamebird. It breeds across the Eurasian taiga to the Eurasian deciduous forest biome. The hazel grouse population has declined sharply in Central Europe and is now largely restricted to low mountain ranges above 400 m and the Alps. The hazel grouse needs coherent, strongly structured, mixed forests with dense undergrowth and a balanced herb layer, megaphorb and shrub layer including a rich supply berries and opportunity for grazing. It avoids heavily cleared or dense commercial forests and is considered the leading species for deciduous coppices. The sexes are similar in plumage: grey to reddish brown upperparts and chestnut-flecked underparts. The patterning is less fine on the belly than on the back. The throat is reddish-brown, whereas males in their breeding plumage has a white-bordered black throat, a red stripe above the eye and a short erectile crest. When agitated, both males and females use erect head feathers as a form of threatening behaviour. The tail is relatively long, slightly rounded and has a black tip. Hazel grouse are monogamous and occupy a territory. They form pairs as early as autumn. After mating in spring, the female lays from 5 to 10 spindle-shaped, yellowish-beige eggs with reddish-brown spots in a ground nest. Breeding and rearing of the young is performed by the female, the cock remains near the nest until the precocial chicks hatch. Hazel grouse are mainly vegetarian, feeding on buds, berries, shoots and seeds (herbs growing in the fields), in winter mainly on buds and the catkins of deciduous trees. This diet is supplemented by Insects and their larvae, especially by the chicks. Like all European bird species, the hazel grouse is subject to the EU Birds Directive. As it is listed in Appendix I, these birds require special protection. In accordance with § 7 para. 2 no. 13 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG), it is considered to be a priority protected species. It is subject to Federal laws on hunting, but enjoys a year-round closed season.