Re-introductions are increasingly being used as a wildlife management tool to restore extinct or depleted wild populations into suitable habitats. These guidelines have been developed to provide guiding principles for the restoration of viable Galliformes populations in the wild for conservation purposes.
The grouse comprise a group of high profile species that are among the most well-known species in the countries where they occur; they are often considered the embodiment of the landscapes in which they live. Today, many of these species are under threat. The 20062010 Grouse Action Plan provides an overview to the distribution, status and threats to all 18 grouse species worldwide and identifies the most immediate conservation needs.
These species, a group of about 150 ground-dwelling gamebird, are found on every continent apart from Antarctica. They live in a wide variety of habitats from tropical forests, high-altitude alpine zones, temperate forests, open country, to desert environment. Although widespread, little is known of the species occuring outside Europe and North America, but several species are considered at grave risk of extinction.