Haselhenne Carinthia

Hazel grouse inhabit structurally diverse, undergrowth-rich mixed and coniferous forests with a pronounced shrub and herb layer. They favour stands with interspersed soft-wood species such as birch, alder, willow and hazel, ideally around ten to fifteen percent broadleaf within conifer-dominated forest. Equally important are low-branching spruces and firs that provide year-round cover, dense regeneration stages and a rich supply of buds, catkins and berries. Large, even-aged and tidied-up plantations are avoided.

In behaviour the species is exceptionally secretive and inconspicuous. The birds rely on their cryptic plumage, sit motionless for long periods when disturbed and only flush at close range, usually covering just short distances. Foresters, hunters and wardens working in the woods are most likely to catch a glimpse of a bird or to hear the fine, high-pitched territorial song of the cock. Pairs hold action ranges of a few dozen hectares and are pronounced resident birds.

Populations have declined sharply across Central Europe over the long term. The main drivers are the loss of structurally rich young forest stages, the abandonment of coppice management, habitat fragmentation and the decline of food-bearing shrubs. For this reason hazel grouse are under year-round closed season in Germany, and no regular hunting takes place. Responsible foresters and hunters contribute above all through habitat care, by retaining young succession stages, leaving individual spruces during young-growth tending, promoting berry-bearing shrubs and keeping quiet zones around breeding cover.