Published August 19, 2022
According to RÚV, grouse populations in northeastern Iceland are at record lows. The reason behind this is the cold and wet summer season.
The Natural History Institute calculated summer population growth for grouse and concluded that it was the weakest in the Northeast since records began in 1964.
In West Iceland, the record has been kept since 1995. This summer also saw the lowest population growth since then.
According to the Institute of Natural History, grouse populations were booming in the spring, but that all changed in the summer. Termigan chicks are believed to have died from exposure to dampness and cold.
In northeastern Iceland, the proportion of grouse females without chicks is thought to be at an all-time high.
The grouse is a popular game bird for hunters. Populations and hunting are strictly controlled. Over 20,000 birds were captured last year, and it is believed that the restrictions are even tighter this year.
