Sooty grouse
| Sooty grouse | |
|---|---|
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| Male | |
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| Female | |
Scientific classification
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Galliformes |
| Family: | Phasianidae |
| Genus: | Dendragapus |
| Species: | D. fuliginosus
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| Binomial name | |
| Dendragapus fuliginosus (Ridgway,1873)
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Thesooty grouse(Dendragapus fuliginosus) is a species offorest-dwellinggrousenative to North America'sPacific Coast Ranges.[2][3]It is closely related to thedusky grouse(Dendragapus obscurus), and the two were previously considered a single species, theblue grouse.[2][3][4]
Description
[edit]Adults have a long square tail, light gray at the end. Adult males are mainly dark with a yellow throat air sac surrounded by white, and a yellow wattle over the eye duringdisplay.Adult females are mottled brown with dark brown and white marks on the underparts.[3]Females have longer skinnier necks than males. The males have stouter bodies than the females.
Distribution and habitat
[edit]Their breeding habitat is the edges ofconiferand mixed forests in mountainous regions of westernNorth America,from southeasternAlaskaandYukonsouth toCalifornia.[3]Their range is closely associated with that of various conifers. They thrive in old forests because they need diverse plants and trees. Regenerated logged or burned areas also attract the sooty grouse as long as there are plenty of bushes and shrubs to nest in. The nest is a scrape on the ground concealed under a shrub or log. Grouse mountain, a mountain that acts as the peak of Vancouver, Canada gets its name from the infamous blue grouse that lives on the mountain. The first hikers that reached the top of the mountain hunted the birds so they honored them by naming the mountain after them. This name is also attributed to the large population of the sooty grouse found on the mountain.
Migration
[edit]They are permanent residents but move short distances by foot and short flights to denser forest areas in winter, with the odd habit of moving to higher altitudes in winter.[2]The birds move from relatively open breeding areas in autumn to deep coniferous forests in the winter.
Taxonomy
[edit]The sooty grouse has four recognized subspecies:[5]
- D. f. fuliginosus(Ridgway,1873)
- D. f. howardi(Dickey & Van Rossem, 1923)
- D. f. sierrae(Chapman,1904)
- D. f. sitkensis(Swarth,1921)
Diet
[edit]These birds forage on the ground, or in trees in winter. In winter, they mainly eatfiranddouglas-firneedles, occasionally alsohemlockandpineneedles; in summer, other green plants (Pteridium,Salix),berries(Gaultheria,Mahonia,Rubus,Vaccinium), andinsects(particularlyants,beetles,grasshoppers) are more important. In winter, they are capable of surviving on fir needles alone. In Spring, they enjoy a diet that consists more of berries, leaves, and flowers. Chicks are almost entirely dependent on insect food for their first ten days.[2]Like many birds, the sooty grouse eat grit and tiny stones. This helps them grind up food in the gizzard.
Breeding
[edit]Males sing with deep hoots on their territory and make short flapping flights to attract females. The sound sounds like someone is hitting a deep but quiet drum. The Males typically make these calls from high in the trees. Females leave the male's territory after mating. A female will then build her nest on the ground in a shallow hole protected by the covering of bushes or logs. She will then lay around 5 to 10 eggs. These eggs are well camouflaged due to their creamy base color with speckled brown spots.
Conservation
[edit]Sooty grouse are experiencing some population decline from habitat loss at the southern end of their range in southern California.[2]The status of the Sooty Grouse is now classified as at risk. Currently, the species is of low conservation concern, but if a decline in old-growth forests persists the risk of endangerment will increase.
References
[edit]
- ^BirdLife International (2016)."Dendragapus fuliginosus".IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.2016:e.T22734695A95095286.doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22734695A95095286.en.Retrieved13 November2021.
- ^abcdedel Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., & Sargatal, J., eds. (1994).Handbook of the Birds of the World2: 401-402. Lynx Edicions, BarcelonaISBN84-87334-15-6.
- ^abcdSibley, D.(2000).The Sibley Guide to Birds.Knopf. pp.143.ISBN0-679-45122-6.
- ^Banks, R. C.; Cicero, C.; Dunn, J. L.; Kratter, A. W.; Rasmussen, P. C.; Remsen, J. V. Jr.; Rising, J. D.; Stotz, D. F. (2006)."Forty-seventh Supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds"(PDF).The Auk.123(3): 926–936.doi:10.1642/0004-8038(2006)123[926:FSTTAO]2.0.CO;2.Retrieved2007-09-16.
- ^Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2021). "Pheasants, partridges, francolins". IOC World Bird List Version 11.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 13 October 2021.