A grouse moorland is a type of habitat found in upland areas of the UK that is managed specifically for the breeding and shooting of red grouse. Red grouse are a species of gamebird that live in heather and can only be found in the British Isles. Grouse moorlands are controversial as they are created through land management practices such as rotational burning to promote red grouse populations for driven grouse shooting, often at the expense of other wildlife. However, they are also home to some rare upland bird species.
Where are Grouse Moorlands Found?
Grouse moorlands are found predominantly in upland areas of northern England including the North York Moors, Peak District, Lancashire, Cumbria, Durham, and Northumberland. There are also significant areas in Scotland, especially the eastern Highlands, Perthshire, Angus Glens, and the Southern Uplands. In Wales, grouse moorlands can be found in the Cambrian Mountains and Berwyn range. Ireland also has grouse moorlands in the Wicklow Mountains, Antrim Plateau, Mourne Mountains and other upland areas.
Heather moorland is the main habitat of red grouse, so grouse moorlands are found in areas where this dwarf shrub grows. Heather thrives in acidic, free-draining soils in upland areas with high rainfall. The cool, wet climate suits red grouse which rely on the tender shoots, seeds and flowers of heather for food. Heather moorland is found from around 200m above sea level upwards in the UK.
Why are Grouse Moorlands Controversial?
Grouse moorlands are controversial because the habitat is intensively managed to maximise grouse populations for driven shooting. Management practices include:
- Rotational heather burning – heather is burnt in patches to create a mosaic of different aged stands for feeding and nesting.
- Predator control – legally controlling foxes, crows and other predators of grouse.
- Medication – treating grouse for parasites to increase productivity.
- Supplementary feeding.
While these practices aim to boost grouse populations, they can negatively impact other wildlife. Burning can harm reptiles, insects and rare upland bird species. Predator control reduces biodiversity. Conservation groups argue grouse moors should be managed to benefit all wildlife.
Driven Grouse Shooting
Red grouse are a popular gamebird as they present a challenging target when flushed from the heather. Grouse shooting takes place from 12th August (the Glorious Twelfth) to 10th December each year. On a shoot day, beaters walk across the moor flushing grouse towards guns stationed along butts. This is called driven grouse shooting.
Grouse moors are managed to provide sufficient grouse for multiple driven shooting days each season. Shooting delivers economic benefits but is controversial due to claims of wildlife crime and raptor persecution linked to some moors.
Red Grouse
The red grouse is a medium-sized gamebird in the pheasant family. It is reddish-brown with a paler underside and white stripes above the eye. The male is known as a red grouse, while the female is called a grey hen. Here are some key facts about red grouse:
- Scientific name – Lagopus lagopus scotica
- Length – 34-38cm.
- Diet – Heather shoots, seeds, flowers and some insects.
- Lifespan – Up to 5 years.
- Found only in the British Isles, introduced to Ireland around 1840.
- Nest on the ground under heather cover.
- Chicks hatch in June, reach full size by 12 weeks.
- Population peaks every 4-5 years then crashes, mainly due to disease.
Red grouse rely on heather and are therefore a key indicator of healthy moorland habitat. They thrive on moors managed for driven shooting as these support 8-10 times more grouse than unmanaged moors.
Heather Moorland
Heather moorland is characterised by extensive cover of heather species, mainly ling heather Calluna vulgaris. Bell heather Erica cinerea and cross-leaved heath Erica tetralix can also be present. Grasses and sedges grow between the heather plants.
This habitat occurs on well-drained, acidic soils in high rainfall areas 230m above sea level and higher. The cool, wet and windy climate suits heather but limits tree growth. Heather also thrives in low nutrient soils.
Without management, heather is usually displaced by grasses, bracken and scrub over time. Active management is needed to maintain a mosaic of heather in different growth phases suited to key wildlife species.
Importance for Wildlife
Heather moorland is a priority habitat in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan as it supports many rare and endangered birds, mammals, reptiles and invertebrates include:
- Red grouse
- Golden plover
- Curlew
- Merlin
- Short-eared owl
- Black grouse
- Mountain hare
- Adder
- Emperor moth
- Green hairstreak butterfly
Sheep grazing and rotational patch burning helps maintain the mosaic of heather ages needed by these species. But inappropriate management can damage moorland habitats.
Importance for Carbon Storage
Heather moorlands represent huge stores of carbon in the soil and peat underneath the heather. Peat is made up of partially decomposed plant material that builds up in waterlogged acidic environments. UK moorlands store an estimated 400 million tons of carbon.
When moorland is drained for agriculture or afforestation, the peat oxidises and releases stored carbon. Burning heather also releases carbon. Well-managed moorlands help store carbon, while degraded moorlands release it, contributing to climate change.
Threats to Grouse Moorlands
Grouse moorlands face a number of threats including:
- Overgrazing – Too many sheep can strip out the heather and increase grass and bracken cover.
- Inappropriate burning – Frequent hot burns can destroy peat and heather while leaving bare ground.
- Drainage – Draining wet moorland oxidises peat, releasing carbon.
- Afforestation – Converting moorland to commercial timber plantations destroys the habitat.
- Climate change – Warming temperatures and changes to rainfall may make habitat less suitable for heather.
Careful management is needed to conserve grouse moorlands and their unique upland wildlife.
Management for Grouse
Special management has created a landscape where red grouse numbers are artificially high. This management includes:
- Rotational heather burning – Heather is burnt in patches 8-25 years old to create a diverse age structure.
- Predator control – Legal predator control of foxes, crows, stoats to reduce grouse losses.
- Medication – Worming medication to control parasites and disease.
- Cutting – Heather cutting to create fresh young shoots.
- Supplementary feeding – Providing additional grit and food during winter.
While boosting grouse for shooting, this management should aim to avoid harming other wildlife.
Conflicts Over Grouse Moorlands
There are ongoing conflicts between grouse moor owners and conservation groups over moorland management. Key issues include:
- Raptor persecution – Illegal killing of birds of prey such as hen harriers which predate grouse chicks.
- Burning – Climate and wildlife impacts of rotational burning.
- Predator control – Impacts on biodiversity of legal predator control.
- Subsidies – Grouse moors receive subsidies while delivering minimal public benefit.
- Carbon emissions – Grouse moor management may reduce moorlands carbon storage capacity.
Striking a balance between grouse shooting and conserving upland wildlife remains a challenge. Grouse shooting brings economic benefits to remote rural areas, but intensive management to boost grouse populations risks wider ecosystem impacts.
Grouse Shooting and Rural Communities
Red grouse shooting provides significant economic benefits to rural communities near grouse moors. These benefits include:
- Direct employment as gamekeepers, beaters, pickers-up.
- Revenue from sporting rents on grouse moors.
- Custom for local businesses from shoot parties.
- Multiplier effect in the rural economy.
Grouse shooting supports businesses such as hotels, restaurants, equipment suppliers and brings visitors to rural areas. Banning driven grouse shooting could damage fragile rural economies. But economic benefits should be balanced against environmental impacts.
Reforming Grouse Moor Management
There are growing calls from conservation groups to reform grouse moor management to benefit all wildlife and support net zero carbon goals. Proposed reforms include:
- Mandating grouse moor licensing to prove sustainable management.
- Banning rotational burning and ending heather burning on peat soils.
- Providing public subsidies only for moors meeting management standards.
- Stronger regulation of medicated grit to treat worm burdens.
- Tightening laws on raptor persecution and wildlife crime.
Grouse moor owners argue they are already committed to sustainable management. But increased oversight could ensure management practices align better with wider public policy goals around climate, biodiversity and animal welfare.
Grouse Moor Case Study: North York Moors
The North York Moors in northeast England contain the largest continuous expanse of heather moorland in England and Wales. Around a quarter of the 144,000 hectare national park is actively managed grouse moorland.
Key facts about grouse moors in the North York Moors:
- 37,000 hectares of grouse moor in the national park.
- 70 grouse moor management units.
- 190 days of grouse shooting per season.
- 36 grouse butts per square kilometre on average.
- 300 licence applications annually for predator control.
Grouse shooting on the North York Moors provides employment but raptor persecution incidents still occur. A 2019 study found breeding density of some moorland bird species was lower on grouse moors in the national park compared to other moorland areas, raising concerns over effects of intensive management on biodiversity.
North York Moors Moorland Birds
The North York Moors moorlands are home to important breeding populations of threatened and declining bird species. These include:
| Species | Population |
|---|---|
| Golden plover | 450 pairs |
| Merlin | 100 pairs |
| Curlew | 350 pairs |
| Short-eared owl | 45 pairs |
Careful management of grouse moors in the North York Moors is needed to protect the important bird populations.
Grouse Moor Case Study: Peak District
The Peak District moors provide an example of tensions between grouse shooting and conservation interests. Grouse moors are found across the Dark Peak area.
In 2019, the Peak District National Park Authority proposed a ban on rotational burning on deep peat and a requirement for grouse shoot owners to get consent before burning heather. The aim was to protect carbon storage and wildfire risk. But grouse managers argued this would end grouse shooting in the national park.
A compromise proposal was developed banning burning on blanket bog but allowing burning to continue under supervision on shallower soils. The Peak District case highlights the complex balancing act between managing land for grouse shooting and conserving peatland habitats.
Peak District Moorland Birds
Important moorland birds found in the Peak District include:
| Species | Population |
|---|---|
| Golden plover | 5,500 pairs |
| Merlin | 36 pairs |
| Short-eared owl | 36 pairs |
| Curlew | 200 pairs |
Careful management of Peak District grouse moors is needed to safeguard moorland bird populations while protecting sensitive peat habitats.
Alternatives to Grouse Shooting
Some groups suggest stopping driven grouse shooting on moorlands and using alternative models such as:
- Walking up shooting – More low intensity shooting without intensive habitat management.
- Nature tourism – Promoting moorlands for recreation like hiking, wildlife watching and cycling.
- Extensive grazing – Using areas just for extensive sheep grazing without burning or predator control.
It is debated whether such alternatives can provide the same economic benefits or level of moorland management as driven grouse shooting.
Grouse Moorlands and Climate Change
Climate change could significantly impact UK grouse moorlands in future, with warming temperatures and changes to rainfall patterns. Potential effects include:
- Lower suitability for heather leading to more grasses and scrub encroachment.
- Drier summers increasing wildfire risks from rotational burning.
- Milder winters meaning fewer grouse die, possibly increasing tick burdens.
- Impacts on grouse food sources like heather flowers and insects.
- More frequent torrential rain causing soil erosion.
Careful moorland management will be needed to protect their conservation value under climate change. Measures may include gripping to reduce wildfire risk, adjusting burning seasons, and planting native trees in cloughs and gills to stabilise soils.
Conclusion
Grouse moorlands represent a unique British upland landscape that is home to rare wildlife but also controversial due to intensive habitat management to benefit red grouse populations. Careful site-specific management is required to balance grouse shooting interests with wider goals around biodiversity, carbon storage and climate resilience. A reformed regulatory system could ensure grouse moor management aligns better with public policy priorities around nature, climate and rural economies.
