Red Grouse Welfare and Driven Shooting Management

The red grouse is uniquely British, found only on heather moorland, and its welfare is intertwined with the controversial practice of driven grouse shooting, which involves intensive habitat management and predator control.

Key Facts

Red grouse are managed at artificially high densities through heather burning and predator control on driven moors
Stronge parasite (Trichostrongylus tenuis) infections cause population crashes even on managed moors
Driven grouse shooting on moorland supports a multimillion pound industry but is subject to significant controversy
Hen harriers, a legally protected bird of prey, are persecuted on some grouse moors due to predation conflicts
The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust argues that management benefits red grouse and other moorland species

Welfare Considerations

Red grouse on driven moors are subjected to high-density management that increases parasite burden and stress. Medicated grit dosing to control parasites is standard practice. Surplus grouse shot during drives face welfare risks from wounding. Predator control programs, which include legal and sometimes illegal killing of raptors, represent a significant welfare issue for birds of prey. The broader ecological welfare of moorland ecosystems depends on resolving the raptor persecution crisis.

What You Can Do

Support RSPB campaigns against illegal raptor persecution on grouse moors
Advocate for licensing of driven grouse shooting to enforce wildlife law compliance
Contribute sightings of hen harriers and other raptors to the Raptor Persecution UK database
Engage with moorland management debate through evidence-based conservation organisations
Support alternatives to burning such as rewetting and peatland restoration on grouse moors