A megacovey of Red Grouse
Well a covey is the collective noun for Red Grouse so I've just coined the term megacovey for an unusually large group. These collective nouns seem to be kept alive by people who compile quizzes as many of the birds are solitary apart from recently fledged families (eg a deceit of woodpeckers). At least grouse do occur in groups though I have never heard anyone use that term seriously. Although the wildlife artist Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935) used it in several of his paintings (eg www.flickr.com/photos/amber-tree/45975821802/in/photolist ). In late autumn Red Grouse pair up and defend a territory that will last them through the winter and will be used for breeding in the spring. Any birds that cannot find a territory join a flock that wanders around the periphery of moorland trying to survive the winter, though without sufficient food many of the flock birds will perish. But when snow covers the moorland the territories seem to be forgotten about and they join a big flock like this, but will go back to their territories as the snow melts. This was taken on the Peak District Moors above Holmfirth.
A megacovey of Red Grouse
Well a covey is the collective noun for Red Grouse so I've just coined the term megacovey for an unusually large group. These collective nouns seem to be kept alive by people who compile quizzes as many of the birds are solitary apart from recently fledged families (eg a deceit of woodpeckers). At least grouse do occur in groups though I have never heard anyone use that term seriously. Although the wildlife artist Archibald Thorburn (1860-1935) used it in several of his paintings (eg www.flickr.com/photos/amber-tree/45975821802/in/photolist ). In late autumn Red Grouse pair up and defend a territory that will last them through the winter and will be used for breeding in the spring. Any birds that cannot find a territory join a flock that wanders around the periphery of moorland trying to survive the winter, though without sufficient food many of the flock birds will perish. But when snow covers the moorland the territories seem to be forgotten about and they join a big flock like this, but will go back to their territories as the snow melts. This was taken on the Peak District Moors above Holmfirth.