Current status and recent trends in numbers and distribution of Black Grouse Tetrao tetrix in northern England

Abstract

Capsule: Surveys of Black Grouse in northern England in 1998, 2002 and 2006 show population recovery in the form of increases in both numbers and range. Aims: To quantify the population size and range of Black Grouse in northern England. Methods: Male black grouse attending leks were surveyed in 1998, 2002 and 2006. These results were put in context with a longer-term trend in northern England, using annual counts from a non-random sample of leks in the North Pennines between 1989 and 2006. Results: Numbers of males increased from 773 in 1998 to 1029 in 2006. Range increased from 74 occupied 5-km grid squares in 1998 to 93 in 2006. Conclusion: The English Black Grouse population is increasing in both numbers and range, but has become fragmented into two subpopulations, one in North Northumberland, the other in the North Pennines. © 2008 British Trust for Ornithology.