- Canachites canadensis
Falcipennis canadensis
Identification
40cm. Long square black tail, brown at the end. Grey with a black breast with white bars, a black throat and a red patch over the eye. Adult females are mottled brown with dark and white bars on the underparts.[1]
Distribution
Alaska, Canada and United States.
Taxonomy
This species has in the past been placed in genus Dendragapus or in genus Falcipennis.
Subspecies
Two distinct subspecies of Spruce Grouse exist. "Franklin's Grouse," franklinii, found in the southwestern portion of the range, in the mountains from Alberta southward, has an all black tail with small white spots on the feathers overlying it. The northeastern subspecies, canadensis, has a rufous tip to the tail and lacks white spots above the tail. [1]
Habitat
Boreal forest and taiga.
Behaviour
The diet includes conifer needles in the winter; in summer, they also eat berries, green plants, and some insects. They eat pebbles, to help their gizzard digest their food.[1]
References
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Spruce Grouse. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 19 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Spruce_Grouse
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
