Sooty Grouse - Grouse Hunting - Upland Hunting
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Description
The Sooty Grouse is a large game bird that can be found occupying the wet mountain forests of the Pacific Coast. While females are speckled in black and brown with a dark tail, the males have darker plumage with long dark tails that have a light gray tip. However, during courtship, the males reveal their yellow-orange air sacs on their neck and the orange eye combs. Both males and females are camouflaged with black, white, gray and brown patterns.
Habitat
The main habitat for these birds is coastal coniferous forests (pine, Douglas-fir, fir, and hemlock) and the mountains. During summer, Sooty Grouse occupy deciduous & mixed forests while at winter dense forests of conifers are the ideal habitat for these bird species. Coastal birds can be found in semi-open coniferous forests.
Diet
The main diet entails conifer needles, insects and leaves. In summer, buds, flowers, leaves, conifer needles, insects and berries constitute the diet while in winter these birds rely on needles of conifers especially firs, hemlocks, Douglas-fir and pines as the main diet.
Nesting
The nest site is usually on the ground under a log, ledge, rock or a shrub for protection from predators and adverse weather conditions. The nest is a shallow scrape that's lined with leaves, dead twigs, feathers, and needles.
During the breeding season, the males sing a deep song that's punctuated with short flights and fluttering the wings loudly. Although they usually sing while perching on trees, in peak display they strut with their tail raised and fanned and spread their feathers to reveal bright skin patches on their skin. The main reason for this display is to attract a suitable mate. Female Sooty Grouse mates with one of the males and then departs.
Eggs
Normally, female Sooty Grouse lay 5 to 10 eggs although sometimes the range can vary between 2 and 12 eggs. The eggs are pale buff with brown speckles. The eggs are incubated by the female only for 25 to 28 days. The young ones can leave the nest within 1 or two days after hatching to look for food. Young ones follow the females to feeding grounds to look for food. The females are known to be fearless when it comes to protecting their young ones. They stand their ground when approached and they can even fight. The young ones start making short flights at the age of 8 – 9 days and they attain full maturity after 13 weeks.
