The sooty grouse usually occurs on the moist, coastal (western) side of our western mountain ranges and coastline. Sooty Grouse – An Upland Game Bird Profile, How to Find Dusky Grouse – A Bird Hunting Guide, Dusky Grouse – An Upland Game Bird Profile, https://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01312/wdfw01312.pdf, https://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/research/projects/grouse/dusky_sooty/, Color of neck/throat air sacs (called apteria), Solid black, though occasionally with light gray band. They primarily occupy California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska, as well as most of coastal British Columbia, Canada. Title Sooty Grouse Range - CWHR B134 [ds925] Publication date 2016-02-0100:00:00 Presentation formats digital map FGDC geospatial presentation format vector digital data Other citation details These are the same layers as appear in the CWHR System software. The two species are the dusky grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) and the sooty grouse (Dendragapus fuliginosus). Large mature conifer sare important to sooty grouse, as it provides food and shelter in the winter months. The male sooty grouse is gray to bluish-gray with a red to yellowish-orange comb over its eyes. ALL SPECIES MAPS ON THIS PAGE ARE THE PROPERTY OF SOUTH … Adults have a … Large, dark chickenlike bird found in wooded habitats, usually with conifers and shrubby undergrowth. Our site uses cookies. The Sooty Grouse is a large game bird of the wet mountain forests of the Pacific Coast. Ryan Lisson is a biologist and regular content contributor to several outdoor manufacturers, hunting shows, publications, and blogs. However, populations in mature forests near the coast may winter on their breeding territories. A large, dark grouse of western coastal forests, also living in mountain forest in the Sierras of California. In 1992, densities of hoot-ing males were estimated to be 3 males per km2 at Big Baldy Ridge, Sequoia National Park, Tulare County (J. Most likely to be noticed (at least by sound) in spring, when males "sing" incessantly to attract mates, a series of deep hoots. The reasons for the apparently rapid decline of Sooty Grouse are still largely unknown. If you find the information on BirdWeb useful, please consider supporting Seattle Audubon. Sooty Grouse can attain high population densities and remains distributed throughout most of its historic range. The most useful field mark for the male Sooty is the broad gray terminal band on the dark tail; the male Dusky’s tail is all-dark with no more than a touch of gray at the very tips of the tail feathers. In winter, they forage in trees for needles of pines, firs, and other conifers. In summer, Sooty Grouse feed on the ground on leaves, flowers, buds, berries, conifer needles, and insects. That obviously wouldn’t do you much good in the field. Accessed at: https://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01312/wdfw01312.pdf, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Wow what a beautiful species , check out those markings! Sooty Grouse are fairly common in mixed and coniferous forests at all elevations throughout their range, with the exception of the Puget lowlands where they are now only found locally in forested foothills as well as in the remnant forests and grasslands near Fort Lewis (Pierce County). Source: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 2018. The dusky grouse mostly occurs on the drier, interior (eastern) sides of our western mountain ranges. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. A large, dark forest grouse of inland regions of the western U.S. and Canada. It is closely related to the dusky grouse (Dendragapus obscurus), and the two were previously considered a single species, the blue grouse. In 2006, Blue Grouse was split into two distinct species: the Sooty Blue Grouse and the Dusky Blue Grouse. Coastal birds inhabit old-growth or recently logged forests year round. It is closely related to the Dusky Grouse (Dendragapus obscurus), and the two were previously considered a single species, the Blue Grouse. Blue grouse require winter range of conifers and a summer range that is diverse, with a vegetative community of mountain shrub, mountain mahogany, aspen, and limber pine stands. For example, the top row is one of the most important identifiers from afar (if a male is displaying), while the bottom row would be impractical to check until you were holding the bird in your hand. Sooty Grouse are usually found singly, not in flocks (except for hens with young), and are generally fairly wary. sierrae) lies along the east slopes of the south Cascades in southern Kittitas, Yakima, and Klickitat counties, from the crest down to the edge of the shrub-steppe zone. The Sooty Grouse occupies a range of breeding habitats from coastal rain forest to subalpine/alpine forest. Adults have a long square tail, light gray at the end. Although high by California standards, densities can exceed … Almost all of the Sooty Grouse range lies within the Northern Pacific Rainforest Bird Conservation Region, where BBS results indicate a decrease of about 49% since the early 1970s. Two subspecies of Sooty Grouse are found in Washington. 's study did … fuliginosus) inhabit wet conifer forest from sea level to the subalpine and alpine zones at openings and edges that provide a well-developed understory vegetation of grasses, herbs, and shrubs. They eat needles, buds, berries, and insects. comm.). Movements and Migration. In July, the grouse are counted, if the numbers do not exceed 200 grouse per kilometre, the shoot may not go ahead. Sooty Grouse, Vancouver Island, BC, photo by Bud Logan. Some of these characteristics are physical features, while others are situational (i.e., displaying location and volume of hooting). blue grouse forever. One exception is an inland range in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. Habitat in Breeding Range. “To expose the uplands to the world, to capture defining moments, to push our passion and culture forward, to bring our community closer, to make us feel. During mating season, the male sooty grouse often perches on a log or post and calls out with a loud booming hoot that can be heard for miles. Sooty Grouse are fairly common in mixed and coniferous forests at all elevations throughout their range, with the exception of the Puget lowlands where they are now only found locally in forested foothills as well as in the remnant forests and grasslands near Fort Lewis (Pierce County). once again elitist over educated snobs telling the rest of us what to think say and do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! High-resolution data, visualizations, and tools describing where bird populations occur and how they change through time—powered by eBird data and updated annually, providing you … Found throughout Utah's mountains. The table below lists the identifying characteristics for each species in order of usefulness in the field. Deforestation for development and agriculture has eliminated habitat for Sooty Grouse in this area. They can be found in the southern portions of Alaska and Yukon, south along the Pacific Coast to northern California, and east to the Rocky Mountains (New Mexico to Alberta). Many of the males in this family have loud and dramatic displays. In addition, the spruce grouse and Siberian grouse have been considered part of this genus. It has a yellow neck sac surrounded by white. In the breeding season, Sooty Grouse of the coastal population (subspecies D.f. 2018. High densities were first noted in this area in the late 1970s (F. Zwickel pers. For instance, Dusky Grouse can be found in wet, dense forests at sea level, while Sooty Grouse may be found in sagebrush with scattered trees. Females lay and incubate 1–12 (normally 4–9) buffy, lightly speckled eggs. The dusky grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) and the sooty grouse (Dendragapus fuliginosus) were first identified separately by Lewis and Clark in the 1800s. Nests are a shallow scrape in the ground, sometimes with little or no cover, sparsely lined with dead twigs, needles, leaves, and feathers. Typically seen on the ground; easiest to detect in midsummer when females and chicks frequent roadsides and trails. It is found throughout the western United States and Canada, primarily occupying Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Oregon, and Washington, as well as most of British Columbia, Alberta, and the Yukon Territory of Canada. Nests are built on the ground, and are shallow scrapes concealed under dead vegetation or low shrubbery. Sooty has the more western montane range, from the Alaska inside passage and coastal British Columbia down to the Cascades and Sierra Nevadas. Sooty Grouse: Scientific (Dendragapus fuliginosus) Order: GALLIFORMES: Family (Latin) Phasianidae: Family (English) Pheasants & Allies: Other name(s) Breeding Regions: NA: Breeding Range Subregions: se Alaska to s California: Nonbreeding Range Subregions: Countries (BETA)map: Canada,United States - mainland, IOC 9.1 Subspecies If you want to be relatively sure of your identification, try to match up as many of these as you can. The sooty grouse was formerly known as the blue grouse. could have contracted range Habitat became islands, metapopulation system developed Intermediate islands might have been critical for movement Early 20th century They are fast runners and spend much of their time on the ground. However, in … The Sooty Grouse shares … Most birds in the wetter, higher-elevation forests are Sooty Grouse, while most of those farther downslope in drier, more open forest, grassland, and shrub-steppe are Dusky Grouse. Sooty grouse male and female. Large, dark chickenlike bird found in wooded habitats, usually with conifers and shrubby undergrowth. Blue grouse living near the Pacific Coast became sooty grouse, while those occupying inland mountain ranges became dusky grouse. Learn more about our use of cookies: cookie policy. Dusky grouse inhabit central Nevada from around Austin, east to the Nevada/Utah border and north to the Idaho/Nevada border. The two new species are the same size and resemble one another closely. I have wondered why we saw the switch from Blue to Dusky in NM and CO. Although it is closer in species to a turkey, this … In 2006, the American Ornithologists’ Union split the species formerly known as Blue Grouse into two species: Dusky Grouse and Sooty Grouse. In Washington, separating them can be challenging in the zone where their ranges meet on the east slope of the north Cascades (see below). When male displays, ruffles neck feathers to reveal wrinkled yellow skin and makes deep hooting noise, slightly higher pitched than Dusky. During mating season the male sooty grouse will often perch on a log or post and call out with a loud booming hoot that can … Grouse are mostly land dwellers. At a quick glance, it’s easy to see why the blue grouse remained a single species for so long. Females are intricately camouflaged in brown, buff, and white. The Sooty grouse used to be considered the darker, coastal subspecies of the Blue grouse that occupies the relatively moist west-side habitats of the birds’ distribution range. However, many birds in this ill-defined transition zone show hybrid characteristics.Click here to visit this species' account and breeding-season distribution map in Sound to Sage, Seattle Audubon's on-line breeding bird atlas of Island, King, Kitsap, and Kittitas Counties. Prefers semi-open woodlands and mature stands of hemlock, cedar, spruce, and white fir in winter. Facts about the Dusky grouse, Ruffed grouse, Spruce grouse, and Sooty grouse. The genus Dendragapus contains two closely related species of grouse that have often been treated as a single variable taxon (blue grouse). Sooty Grouse still occupy most of their original range, although they once inhabited the Puget Trough from Seattle to Portland. All rights reserved. How much does it cost to go grouse shooting? It is so closely related to the Dusky Grouse, Dendragapus obscurus, that until recently there was some debate whether they were separate species.. The latest articles, films, podcasts, and exclusive offers. Population status Sooty Grouse (Dendragapus fuliginosus)The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) provides the best data on population trends for Sooty Grouse in Canada. ... Sooty Grouse (Dendragapus fuliginosus), version 1.0. To make a long and complicated story short, you should plan to use every one of your observations about these birds to identify them – especially in coastal states and Canada where they overlap. Adult males are mainly dark with a yellow … It is so closely related to the Dusky Grouse, Dendragapus obscurus, that until recently there was some debate whether they were separate species.. The young are precocial, able to walk and feed themselves within a few hours of hatching. fuliginosa) is west of the Cascade crest, spilling across onto the upper east slopes of the north Cascades in Okanogan, Chelan, and northern Kittitas counties where it meets the range of Dusky Grouse in a substantial but poorly understood zone of overlap. The Sooty Grouse (Dendragapus fuliginosus) is a species of forest-dwelling grouse native to North America's Pacific Coast Ranges. The male sooty grouse is gray to bluish-gray with a red to yellowish-orange comb over its eyes. 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