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Is this a grouse? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter jackiek
- Start date
Capercaillie71
Well-known member
jackiek said:
Possibly a spruce grouse, but I'm not too familiar with the N American species.
lou salomon
the birdonist
in my eyes spruce grouse too. tail looks too short for blue grouse. but i'll let the definitive id to others.
edit: just saw that spruce grouse isn't in the distribution map in or very close to vancouver (isl.) while blue grouse is.- how close to vancouver did your husbund photograph this bird?
edit: just saw that spruce grouse isn't in the distribution map in or very close to vancouver (isl.) while blue grouse is.- how close to vancouver did your husbund photograph this bird?
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Katy Penland
Well-known member
When I lightened the photo a bit, the tail looks rather ratty and worn, possibly affecting its length? The bird's also holding it kind of twisted and up, which also may be shortening its look. The "speckled overall" appearance on the back and wings points more to Blue Grouse than Spruce, I believe. But I've only seen one Blue Grouse in the field in my life and never a Spruce, so I could be wrong. 
jackiek
Jackie
Katy Penland said:When I lightened the photo a bit, the tail looks rather ratty and worn, possibly affecting its length? The bird's also holding it kind of twisted and up, which also may be shortening its look. The "speckled overall" appearance on the back and wings points more to Blue Grouse than Spruce, I believe. But I've only seen one Blue Grouse in the field in my life and never a Spruce, so I could be wrong.
The other photos I have of this bird are attached.
Husband says it was just out of Vancouver half way up the mountains, and that she had chicks - you can just make them out below her in the photo where her head is obscured.
Thanks, Jackie
Attachments
lou salomon
the birdonist
now it is clear: it is indeed a blue grouse, dendragapus obscurus. tail is longer than in spruce. the whole bird is "longer" too. head colouring and the distribution of spotting in pic 3 looks very similar to this one:
http://www.birdinfo.com/A_Images_B/BlueGrouse_0002.html
btw. back in 1992 i once climbed up a tree very fast when i heard a threatening growl; it was may 5th in yellowstone park and sounded like a mama grizzly ("don't come closer!!"): from the "2nd floor" between the branches of an alder i looked for the big bear and what did i see? a displaying male blue grouse! it has a very deep sound...
http://www.birdinfo.com/A_Images_B/BlueGrouse_0002.html
btw. back in 1992 i once climbed up a tree very fast when i heard a threatening growl; it was may 5th in yellowstone park and sounded like a mama grizzly ("don't come closer!!"): from the "2nd floor" between the branches of an alder i looked for the big bear and what did i see? a displaying male blue grouse! it has a very deep sound...
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Katy Penland
Well-known member
LOL, great story, Lou! :t:lou salomon said:
