From Opus

Male. Photo by Daniele Occhiato.
Photo taken: Vaaltavara, Finland, May 2005.

Tetrastes bonasia

Bonasa bonasia

[edit] Identification

35-39cm length. Grey upperparts, brown wings and chestnut flecked white underparts.

The male has a short erectile crest and a white-bordered black throat. The female has a shorter crest and lacks the black throat.

[edit] Distribution

Scandinavia, central and eastern Europe, Russia and Siberia to Japan and northern Korea.

Female. Photo by RBirder.
Photo taken: Kandalaksha gulf, Russia.

[edit] Taxonomy

Twelve subspecies are recognized:

• T. b. styriaca
• T. b. rhenana
• T. b. rupestris
• T. b. schiebeli
• T. b. volgensis
• T. b. bonasia
• T. b. griseonota
• T. b. siberica
• T. b. kolymensis
• T. b. amurensis
• T. b. yamashinai
• T. b. vicinatas

Placed in genus Bonasa by some authorities.

[edit] Habitat

Dense, damp, mixed coniferous woodland, preferably with some spruce.

[edit] Behaviour

The nest is on the ground, and 3-6 eggs is the normal clutch size. The female takes all responsibility for incubating the eggs and caring for the chicks

This bird feeds on the ground, taking mainly plant food, supplemented by insects when breeding.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.

[edit] External Links