Blue Grouse - BirdForum Opus

Dendragapus obscurus

Photo by Dacol
Displaying male. Location: Clark, Colorado, USA

Identification

42cm. Male - yellow-orange comb over eye, dark body, mottled back and upperwings, grey band on tail. Female - brown body, brown and white marks on underparts, brown tail with grey band.

Distribution

North America.

Taxonomy

The 47th Supplement to the AOU Checklist split this species into Dusky Grouse D. obscurus of the Rockies and Sooty Grouse D. fuliginosus of the Pacific Coast.

Habitat

Conifer and mixed forests, shrub, desert, tundra, upto 3,600m.

Photo by Dave B Smith
female (Dusky)
Location: Sheep River PP, Alberta, Canada

Behaviour

They nest in a ground scrape.

In winter the diet includes conifer needles,

References

47th Supplement to the AOU Checklist

External Links

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