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1 June 1997 Geographical and seasonal patterns of mortality in red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus populations
Peter J. Hudson, David Newborn, Peter A. Robertson
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Abstract

Corpses of red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus were collected monthly from 10, 1-km2 study areas on managed grouse moorland for a period of 10 years. Six of the study areas were located in Scotland and four in Northern England. A greater number of corpses were found on the Scottish study areas than on the English and compositional analysis identified the relative importance of death through parasitism in England. Stoat Mustela erminea kills were more prevalent in England but fox Vulpes vulpes and large raptors were more important in Scotland. Predators were more abundant in Scotland and frequency of sightings positively correlated with number of kills between study areas. There was a seasonal peak in mortality in spring.

© WILDLIFE BIOLOGY
Peter J. Hudson, David Newborn, and Peter A. Robertson "Geographical and seasonal patterns of mortality in red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus populations," Wildlife Biology 3(2), 79-87, (1 June 1997). https://doi.org/10.2981/wlb.1997.010
Received: 5 November 1996; Accepted: 23 May 1997; Published: 1 June 1997
KEYWORDS
corpses
fox
parasitism
predation
raptors
red grouse
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