Hubert Zeiler: Birkwild

Black grouse

Black grouse, hazel grouse, snow grouse

Our knowledge about the black grouse, the capercaillie, the hazel grouse and the snow grouse has increased enormously in the last years. Alone: this knowledge is still reserved for scientists. The book "Birkwild, Haselhuhn, Schneehuhn" (Black grouse, hazel grouse, ptarmigan) now makes these exciting findings generally accessible, not only for hunters, but also for birders. The greatest attention is paid to the black grouse. This game species is presented in all its habits, in some cases with completely new insights. Few people are aware, for example, that courtship is actually divided into two large, completely different areas: competition between rivals and courtship and mating behavior. Who knows what characteristics hens use to choose their roosters, how birds see colors, what growth rates can be expected, and what role prey predators play? - Another focus is on habitat and its conservation: an area of knowledge that is not only of interest to hunters, but also in environmental impact assessments, such as those that have become indispensable in the construction of winter sports facilities or wind turbines. Even in the case of the hazel grouse, the oldest native grouse species, which lives in hiding, the habitat and the use of this habitat are in the foreground: What does the hazel grouse eat? How can a territory be made more attractive for hazel grouse? Often very small steps are enough. You will find them in this book. The chapter on the hazel grouse is rounded off with practical tips, such as how to make your own decoy whistles and how to track and observe the birds. This fascinating book also shows how the snow grouse can survive in ice and snow.

Author: Hubert Zeiler

2008, 304 pages, 48 pages colour plates with over 100 colour pictures, 50 b/w drawings, hardcover edition

Language: German