From Opus

Bonasa umbellus

Male displaying. Photo by GaryT.
Photo taken: Wellsboro, Pennsylvania.

Female. Photo by Gary Clark
Location: Gaspe' Penisula, Quebec, Canada

[edit] Identification

40-50cm. Long square brownish tail with barring and a black band near the end, grey-brown head, neck and back, breast is light with barring, ruffs are on the sides of the neck. These birds also have a crest on top of their head, which sometimes lies flat. Both sexes are similarly marked and sized.

[edit] Distribution

Canada and northern United States.

[edit] Taxonomy

Fourteen subspecies are recognized:^[1]

[edit] Habitat

Open areas.

[edit] Behaviour

Females nest on the ground, typically laying 6–8 eggs. The nests occasionally are parasitized by Ring-necked Pheasants or Wild Turkeys that lay eggs in the nests.

The diet includes buds, leaves, berries, seeds, and insects.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019

• List of references

[edit] External Links