The dusky grouse (''Dendragapus obscurus'') is a species of
forest-dwelling
grouse native to the
Rocky Mountains in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
.
[del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., & Sargatal, J., eds. (1994). ''Handbook of the Birds of the World'' 2: 401-402. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona .] It is closely related to the
sooty grouse (''Dendragapus fuliginosus''), and the two were previously considered a single species, the
blue grouse.
Description
Adults have a long square tail, gray at the end. Adult males are mainly dark with a purplish
throat air sac surrounded by white, and a yellow to red wattle over the eye during
display
Display may refer to:
Technology
* Display device, output device for presenting information, including:
** Cathode ray tube, video display that provides a quality picture, but can be very heavy and deep
** Electronic visual display, output devi ...
. Adult females are mottled brown with dark brown and white marks on the underparts.
Distribution and habitat
Their breeding habitat is the edges of conifer
Conifers are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single ...
and mixed forests in mountainous regions of western North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
, from southeastern Alaska and Yukon south to New Mexico.[ Their range is closely associated with that of various conifers. Their nest is a scrape on the ground concealed under a shrub or log.]
Migration
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.
Diet
These birds forage on the ground, or in trees in winter. In winter, they mainly eat fir
Firs (''Abies'') are a genus of 48–56 species of evergreen coniferous trees in the family (biology), family Pinaceae. They are found on mountains throughout much of North America, North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The ...
and douglas-fir needles, occasionally also hemlock and pine needles; in summer, other green plants ('' Pteridium, Salix''), berries ('' Gaultheria, Mahonia, Rubus, Vaccinium''), and insects (particularly ants, beetles, grasshopper
Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are among what is possibly the most ancient living group of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago.
Grasshopp ...
s) are more important. Chicks are almost entirely dependent on insect food for their first ten days.
Breeding
Males sing with deep hoots on their territory and make short flapping flights to attract females. Females leave the male's territory after mating.
References
External links
Dusky Grouse photo gallery
VIREO
{{Taxonbar, from=Q543345
dusky grouse
dusky grouse
Native birds of the Rocky Mountains
Native birds of Western Canada
Native birds of the Western United States
dusky grouse