Wintering grouse birds. Black grouse bird. Grouse lifestyle and habitat. Range, habitats

In early spring, as soon as the first thawed patches turn black on the southern slopes, somewhere on the edge of the forest, in a burned area, clearing or hummocky swamp, black grouse open their currents. It seems that some very large pigeons have flocked and are trying - which will turn everyone around. And the black grouses spin along the current, run, jump, provoking rivals and themselves with muttering and movements. For 15-20 minutes, the grouse gurgles in the predawn silence. And suddenly: “choo-ffsh-fsh”, “choo-ffy-s”. The song ends on this chord. And after a while everything starts all over again.

Teterki here, not far away. Sit on hummocks or bushes. And occasionally, with their clucking, they warm up the excitement at the grouse current.

Later, the birds break in pairs, and in May, not far from the current, on the ground, in the grass under the bushes, the grouse will lay 6-8 testicles. Sometimes less, sometimes more. A nest is a hole in the ground lined with feathers and grass blades.

The mother hen alone incubates the eggs and raises the chicks. It will take 3-4 weeks, and small black grouse appear in the nest. At first, the chicks feed on ants, beetles, and larvae. Then they gradually switch to a vegetable menu. An adult black grouse is a herbivorous bird. Berries, buds, leaves, juniper cones, grass seeds, flowers are the basis of their nutrition.

While the cubs are not able to fly, the mother carefully covers them in the grassy thickets, and in case of sudden danger she selflessly jumps out towards the enemies, trying to take them away from the brood by dashes with short flights. But only the danger will blow away, it will soar from under the nose of the enemy and return to the grouse.

Below are beautiful photos of a black grouse.

Until the very autumn, the grouse will nurse its brood. And by winter, black grouse will gather in flocks. Then they can often be seen on trees ... But in general, birds are terrestrial. They fly very well though. The habits of terrestrial inhabitants are preserved by black grouse in winter.

Black grouse feed on trees, but they always spend the night on the ground. From a flight or from a tall tree, they dive into a snowdrift, pierce caves in the snow and spend the night like that. And in severe frosts and blizzards they spend under the snow, sometimes even for several days.
Black grouse is a game bird. The forest beauty is hunted everywhere where it is found: in the forest and forest-steppe zones of Europe and Asia.

Video: Grouse. Current time. Spring hunting from huts

With the arrival of early spring, as soon as the snow begins to melt and black thawed patches appear, you can observe grouse currents. black grouse begins to run intensively, jump up and mutter loudly.

This is how their competitive competitions between males go. These movements and sounds last about 15-20 minutes. After that, fading sounds are heard and the first act of the concert comes to an end.

But some time passes and everything starts all over again. Every bird in nature is original in some way. black grouse bird interesting to everyone, from appearance to extraordinary behavior.

Types of black grouse

There are several species of these amazing birds. Each of them has its own significant differences. Some in nature are becoming less and less due to human activities, so they are currently under reliable protection.

Prairie chicken

This feathered bird, like all its other brethren, belongs to the pheasant genus. You can see the prairie grouse in North America. In winter, with the onset of cold weather, they can not hesitate to be on farms. It is in those places that they manage to survive the harsh season and not experience problems with food.

The habitat of this species of black grouse is walnut groves, places with a large number of wild roses and birch forests. At the beginning of the mating season, they change their place of deployment and move to meadows with tall grasses.

To build a nest, they choose territories located near water bodies and with low grasses. The presence of a reservoir nearby is a prerequisite for a comfortable life. black grouse in nature. This species was listed in the Red Book in 1967 and is considered endangered.

sharp-tailed grouse

This species of black grouse lives in places ranging from the center of Alaska and ending with the Yukon, reaching the Great Plains. The size of this bird is small - the length does not exceed 49 cm, and the weight does not reach a kilogram.

A distinctive feature of the sharp-tailed grouse is its tail, in the center of which feathers are observed, longer than others. Between the eyes of the bird there is a strip of dark color. There are no significant differences between females and males. The color of the first is somewhat duller.

sharp-tailed grouse

It is convenient for these birds to live in glades with low grasses, which help to skillfully hide their nests. If the black grouse lives in the forest, then he is looking for a clearing for himself. Often found in agricultural lands and raised bogs.

black grouse

These birds are quite large. Their habitat is the forests and forest-steppe of Asia. Most of all, this species can be found in, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, in. It is also observed on the territory of Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic states, Poland, and England.

Males are usually larger than females. They also differ in their color. The color of the male is dominated by black with green tones. In the female, it is more variegated with a predominance of red and brown colors. Weight can reach up to 1.5 kg.

Blue grouse

This species of black grouse lives in Alaska, California, Canada and Colorado. The plumage of these birds is painted in dark gray colors with blue and green tones. Against the background of these colors, a comb of orange or red is replete.

The chest of the bird is decorated with a white spot. The size of the blue grouse is impressive. Sometimes the weight of an adult male exceeds a kilogram. There are no significant differences in color between males and females. They differ in size. They prefer to lead a settled way of life in coniferous forests.

Caucasian grouse

The name of this one speaks for itself. The habitat of the Caucasian black grouse is located on the territory of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and the Caucasus. Choose places with thickets of birch, wild rose. There should be few of them, but enough to hide the nests of birds.

The appearance of this type of black grouse is very much like black grouse, just a few smaller parameters. The colors of males are dominated by black colors, while the female is full of brown and red tones.

Grouse sagebrush

In another way, this feathered grouse is also called sage. This large bird lives in North America and Canada. Judging by the name, the bird closely interacts with wormwood all its life.

The seeds of the plant are her favorite delicacy of the black grouse, in its thickets they prefer to build their dwellings, as well as hide from their enemies. For this species of black grouse, the presence of swamps is important.

In males of these birds, the color is much richer than in females. In principle, as already noted, such a pattern is observed in all types of black grouse. The sagebrush black grouse is dominated by brown tones diluted with white.

The neck of the bird is crowned with a white collar. The feathered tail is unique, consisting of many feathers sticking out in different directions and creating the impression of an opened flower bud.

The top of the feathers is decorated with white, at the base they are black. It is worth noting that only males have such an impressive tail to attract the opposite sex.

The appearance of a black grouse

There are differences between male and female grouse. Their sexual dimorphism is at the highest level, in this regard, nature has made every effort. All male grouse have a bright and rich color.

In general, this is a very beautiful bird, which you can watch for hours. The bird has a large physique, a small head on a short neck. The maximum weight of a bird can reach up to 6.5 kg. It can be up to a meter long.

Caucasian grouse female

The eyes of birds are decorated with red non-feathered skin. The feathered beak is not particularly striking. On top of it there is a bulge. And the nostrils are covered with feathers. The wings are short and rounded.

The attractive tail of males is striking. The limbs of the bird are covered with plumage. The plumage of females is somewhat different from that of males. It is dull and not so disguised as the external environment.

Bird habitat and lifestyle

Black grouse can be found in the Palearctic and Neoarctic zones. The areas from the Pyrenees to the east of Manchuria, the lands of Scotland and Mongolia, the countries of North America, Asia and Europe are inhabited by these interesting and attractive birds. Many of their species can be found on the territory of Russia.

This is a sedentary bird, but during the nesting period, it is especially scrupulous about exactly where to build a dwelling. At this time, the black grouse tries to avoid gloomy, deaf forests with tall trees.

It is wonderful and comfortable for them in lime and aspen forests, where birch forests, fields with cereals, and berry forests are visible. Not so long ago it was possible to observe these birds in the steppes. But with the development of agriculture, they gradually left there.

Birds choose the ground for their nests. Right on it, in dense bushes or thickets, black grouse finds a haven. It happens that they simply use a recess in the ground for this.

In the matter of housing, all responsibility lies only with the female. The representative of the stronger sex does not take the slightest part in this. Feathers and dried grass are used to insulate ready-made housing. Birds prefer to lead a flock of life. black grouse in winter it's especially important to stick together. The female at this time of the year rarely leaves her male.

In the spring months, birds move through the trees in search of fresh buds and shoots. It is interesting to watch them at this time. The black grouse catches on the branch with strong paws and can hang upside down for so long.

They lead a sedentary lifestyle and are not accustomed to changes in their place of residence. This causes the almost complete destruction of some of their species, because it is not so difficult for hunters to find them.

Black grouse time falls at the beginning of spring. They go in pairs. Before autumn black grouse takes care of its offspring, incubates and carefully guards it. Closer to winter, the birds flock again. At this time, they are most often found on trees, although the black grouse is considered a ground bird.

Birds fly great. In the daytime, they fly from tree to tree in search of food, and at night they descend to the ground. In winter, for the night, they climb deep under the snow, thus escaping from the cold. They can spend several days there if the temperature outside drops significantly. But even being under the snow, the birds are distinguished by extreme caution.

Male grouse with females in the mating season

They have perfect vision and hearing. This helps them anticipate danger ahead of time. It is worth making one unsuccessful move during the hunt and you can scare away all the grouse. Frightened birds take off quickly and noisily, making a commotion around.

This bird is of commercial value, therefore classic black grouse hunting is a favorite pastime of many hunters. Such their mass extermination has led to the fact that some species are on the verge of extinction and are taken under the protection of mankind.

Nutrition

Black grouse nutrition the most varied. It depends on the time of year and the habitat of the bird. To a greater extent, plant foods predominate in his diet. In summer, animal food can join it. Only at the beginning of its life, the black grouse needs a large number of insects.

In winter, they prefer tree buds, berries and needles. The black grouse living near the fields, without any embarrassment and fear, enjoys the harvest of crops. This is especially noticeable in autumn, during the harvest period. The normal digestion of birds is facilitated by the use of small pebbles and hard seeds.

Reproduction and lifespan

Pro currentization black grouse you can talk endlessly. This is an amazing and incomparable sight. Males try their best to win the favor of females. They are so polygamous that during this mating season they can fertilize more than a dozen females.

After all the rituals and completed fertilization, the female begins to improve the home. The male does nothing to help her. In the selected secluded place, imperceptible to predators, the female builds a nest and lays from 6 to 9 eggs buffy with brown dots.

Hatching time lasts about 21 days. In born babies, thick fluff is noticeable. They are always next to their mother, obey and imitate her in everything. After about a month, the chicks fledge. The life span of these interesting birds lasts 8-14 years.

The black grouse belongs to the pheasant family and is a fairly common bird. Most often, these representatives of birds can be seen near the forest edge or in the valley of a fairly large river where they live. The largest number of black grouse is observed in Russia, you can also meet them in the zone of Eurasia, where the steppes are located.

Black grouse are very beautiful and quite massive. The head in relation to their body is very small, and the beak is very short. The dimensions of the birds are as follows:

• The weight of males varies from a kilogram to one and a half.
• Their body length can reach sixty centimeters.
• The mass of female black grouse ranges from seven hundred grams to a kilogram.
• The length rarely exceeds forty-five centimeters.

In grouse it is observed pronounced sexual dimorphism. This means that the anatomical structure of female and male birds is different, apart from differences in the structure of the genital organs.

They have the following external characteristics:

• The color of males is quite bright. The main color of the feathers, which, it should be noted, shine very beautifully in the light, is black. On the head, neck, goiter, as well as the lower back, there is a green, and in some places a purple tint. The back of the belly differs in color from the front: it is not so iridescent, but more brown. The tail feathers have white tops and are arranged in an unusual shape that looks more like a lyre than a fan. Undertail white feathers stand out in contrast against the black tail.
• Females do not have such an expressive color as males, however, they are also very attractive. Their body is variegated. Their feathers, the main color of which is red with an admixture of brown, have gray, dark brown, dark yellow and brown colors. The appearance of a female black grouse is very similar to the appearance of a female capercaillie, however, they can be distinguished due to the notch characteristic of a black grouse on the tail, as well as white patches on the feathers of the wings.
• It should be noted that immature and still very young birds, both males and females, do not differ at all from each other. Both sexes have the same variegated feathers with white stripes and markings on them.

A feature of black grouse is their sonorous voice, which differs between males and females. The sounds that female grouse make are similar to chicken cackling and are sharper and faster than those of males. The muttering of males is long, and in the event of an approaching threat, ringing cries turn into deaf and alert ones.

Character

Grouse prefer to spend their time on the ground, however, in especially cold weather, birds have to live in trees. That's where they get their food. The manner of taking off and moving is very similar to the movement of a chicken. black grouse run very well, but their steps are slightly shorter than domestic birds, which are used to moving more sweepingly.

Interestingly, even despite their rather large weight, the birds are completely calm and move easily along the branches of trees, which can be very thin. Also, the dimensions of the black grouse do not interfere with its smooth flight, which can be not only fast, but also long. If necessary they fly several tens of kilometers doing it without any stops.

Catching a black grouse is not so easy: the birds are about have keen hearing and sharp eyesight, and in case of danger they immediately fly off to a safe distance or fly up to a tall tree.

Birds show their activity either early in the morning, during sunrise, or in the evening. If the temperature drops very low, the birds looking for shelter under the snow where they can keep warm. In order not to waste heat in vain, black grouse in severe frosts feed only once a day.

Lifestyle

Black grouse are not accustomed to being alone, therefore they keep in relatively small groups, however, researchers have also found such flocks in which there were more than two hundred individuals. Often these Groups are made up of females and males in equal proportions., but there are also cases when only males or females are observed in the flock. But the latter is extremely rare.

The favorite tree of the black grouse is birch, because it is her kidneys that are included in the daily diet of the bird. They spend most of their day on them, and after dark and a noticeable cold snap, the birds hide under the snow, where they form special tunnels for a comfortable stay. On especially dank days, birds are able to stay in them without getting out for twenty-three hours and get out only for a very quick meal.

Surprisingly, black grouse always be on the lookout and you won't catch them by surprise. Thanks to their excellent hearing, they notice any rustles, whether it is the movement of a fox in the snow or the approach of a person. Sensing danger, the birds immediately break through the walls of the tunnel with their large body and immediately fly up to a tall tree.

Where are common

As already mentioned, most individuals can be found in the forest-steppe parts of Europe and Asia. Speaking less vaguely, the ranges of black grouse are the following territories:

• Alpine mountains;
• British Isles;
• Korean peninsula;
• Ussuri region;
• China;
• Kazakhstan;
• Middle Asia;
• Mongolia.

In some places, black grouse do not live in forests and steppes, but in more mountainous areas. This is explained by the constant change in climatic conditions, as well as the active agricultural activity of man. For example, in the Alpine mountains, birds can be found no lower than one and a half thousand meters, despite the fact that a few decades ago the territory where they lived was much larger.

Unfortunately, the wider the activity of people becomes, the less birds remain in the territory developed by us. A striking example is their almost complete disappearance in the Eastern Sudetes.

Also individuals of black grouse, in much smaller quantities, but still can be found in the following areas:

• In Belgium;
• In the Netherlands;
• In the northern part of Germany;
• In Denmark;
• In Great Britain;
• Scotland;
• Scandinavia.

Favorite places for black grouse are places where both high vegetation and small bushes are successfully combined, and nearby there are areas with areas clear of trees. In the valleys of large rivers and near swamps, a large number of individuals are most often observed. Black grouse birds avoid dense and dark forests.

These representatives of birds can lead two ways of life: both sedentary and nomadic. For some reason, natural scientists observe the active movement of most of the population in certain years. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the number of birds is noticeably increasing, and they can no longer get along on the territory in such huge groups. Seasonal travels among black grouse are observed infrequently, and birds leave their habitual places only in case of special need.

What does a grouse eat

The diet of birds is very diverse, but most of it consists of food of plant origin. Certain plants are consumed by black grouse at certain times of the year when replenishment of the stocks of certain substances is required.

Fur, birch, larch, alder - all this is eaten by black grouse in the spring, when they have an acute shortage of protein. In autumn, of course, comes time for various berries: blueberries, blueberries and lingonberries. If the group lives near a field where there are fruits of grain crops, then the birds try to eat there, preferring wheat to other grains.

In winter, when it is almost impossible to find anything, birds have to eat birch catkins, tear off the soft bark of trees, if possible, eat spruce needles, larch and juniper berries.

Chicks in their diet need to include more plant foods than adults. However, with age, their need for insects and invertebrates decreases markedly.

Threats

Black grouse, of course, have a number of qualities that help them survive in difficult conditions, however, they often become victims of various predators, which include wild boars, foxes, hawks and martens.

The above representatives of the canine family sniff out birds hiding under the snow and instantly attack them, breaking through the thin wall of the tunnel. Also, foxes with sables hunt for small chicks. Hawks, on the other hand, track down their prey from the air and rush at it with lightning speed.

Despite the fact that, according to the study, the influence exerted by predators on black grouse has increased markedly and provokes some changes in the life of these birds, this is not the main reason for the decline in the population. Two other factors also play a role in this, the first of which is human activity.

Not only uncontrolled hunting for black grouse has a significant impact on their number, but also human economic activity. The more territories people develop, the more problems arise for black grouse, and indeed, for all other animals. People cut down forests, put up poles with power lines, from contact with which more than twenty-five thousand birds die every year. Tourism also has a negative impact on nature.

Changes in climatic conditions also contribute to the decline of the black grouse population. Winters are sometimes very severe, and sometimes warm weather actively alternates with cold. This leads to the formation of a small, but still strongly affecting the life of the black grouse, an ice crust on the ice.

The black grouse is a relatively large semi-sedentary bird from the pheasant family. The black grouse lives in deciduous and mixed forests of Europe and Asia, preferring small birch forests.

Description of the black grouse

Sexual dimorphism in black grouse is pronounced. Males are larger than females(the height of the male is 50-58 cm, weight 1200-1300 g, the height of the female is 40-45 cm, weight - 800-1000 g). The color of the male is predominantly black, with a blue or green tint. Underwing and undertail are white. The head is small, with fleshy red eyebrows and a small strong beak. The tail is lyre-shaped. The female black grouse is reddish-brown, with gray, yellow or brown speckles. Eyebrows are less visible. Undertail is white. The tail is short, not curved.

Sexual maturity in this bird occurs in the first year of life. black grouse does not pair, but mates with multiple partners.

Among the natural enemies of the black grouse, one can note the fox, marten, hawk. However, the greatest danger to this bird is human economic activity, as well as hunting.

Behavior

The black grouse is a shy and cautious bird. During the warm season it feeding on the ground, pecking blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and lingonberries. When danger approaches, the black grouse emits a deaf alarming cry, takes off noisily and moves several hundred meters. Young growth feeds mainly on insects, gradually moving to berries.

In winter, black grouse unite in mixed flocks up to several hundred individuals. At this time of the year, they feed sitting in trees. Usually the basis of their winter diet is made up of birch buds and catkins, as well as juniper berries and green cones of conifers. After sunset, black grouse fall from the branches directly into the snow and spend the night in the formed hole.

In severe cold, black grouse feed once a day for an hour, and spend the rest of the time in the snow.

Grouse breeding

By the end of winter, the grouse flock is divided into males and females. With the onset of the thaw black grouse begin to lek. This process takes about 2 months. The current usually occurs in open and semi-open places (clearings and fields, semi-overgrown swamps). As a rule, birds return to a certain place every year.

black grouse twice during the day. The morning current, which begins before dawn, usually lasts longer and is more violent than the evening current. Adult strong males are in the center of the current. They make a characteristic muttering sound, bending their heads and spreading their tail feathers. Fights often break out during the talk. Young males are forced to stay on the edges. They are not yet strong enough to measure their strength with adult birds.

Mating takes place either in the center of the current, or in the forest nearby. The grouse builds a nest, which is a recess in the ground, disguised by grass, and lays 5-13 pale brown eggs with brown speckles. The incubation period is 24-25 days. Shortly after hatching, the chicks leave the nest and go in search of food with their mother.

This male does not take part in caring for offspring, but the grouse constantly protects his offspring. In case of danger, the female emits a warning cry. The chicks hide in a shelter, and the mother pretends to be wounded and takes the enemy away from her offspring.

On the 10th day of life, the cubs can already fly from place to place. By the age of one month, they can fly. By the end of autumn, most males become independent and separate from their parents. Females often spend the winter with their mother and leave her only in spring.

Domain: Eukaryotes

Kingdom: Animals

Type of: Chordates

Class: Birds

Detachment: Chicken

Family: Pheasant

Genus: Grouse

View: Grouse

Description of the bird

Black grouse, or black grouse, or field grouse is a common bird of the pheasant family, living in the forest, forest-steppe and partly steppe zone of Eurasia, including Russia. Sedentary or nomadic bird throughout the range; settles on forest edges, along the edge of the forest, in the valleys of large rivers. The object of the hunt.

The black grouse is a rather large bird with a small head and a short beak. Males are larger than females, their body length is from 49 to 58 cm, weight is in the range of 1-1.4 kg, and females reach 40 to 45 cm in length, and their weight is 0.7-1 kg.

In the plumage color of the black grouse, sexual dimorphism is also pronounced. The male has a brilliant black plumage with a purple or green sheen in the head, neck, goiter and loins, bright red eyebrows. Belly behind brown with light tops of feathers; undertail white. The primary flight feathers are dark brown in color, with “mirrors” - white spots on the lower half from 1 to 5 feathers. The “mirrors” are even more pronounced on the secondary flight feathers. The tail feathers are black with a purple sheen on the tops; the extreme tail feathers are bent to the sides, which is why the tail of the black grouse is lyre-shaped. The female is motley, reddish-brown in color with transverse stripes of gray, dark yellow and black-brown. Outwardly, it resembles a female capercaillie, but differs in white “mirrors” on the wings and a small notch on the tail. Undertail white. Young birds are variegated feathered, their color consists of stripes and spots of black-brown, yellow-brown and white.

Distribution area

The black grouse is widely distributed throughout the forest belt of Europe and Siberia; however, in northern Siberia it does not go east of the Lena, and in southern Siberia it only reaches the river. Ussuri. The northern border of the black grouse distribution in Europe almost coincides with the border of the forest. The black grouse, in contrast to the capercaillie, is not at all a purely forest bird; he feels great in dense thickets of shrubs and weeds - not without reason, in some places he is called "polyash". Only persecution by man has led to the fact that in our time, black grouse almost does not nest outside the forest. But here, too, he gives a clear preference to rare broad-leaved forests and birch forests, burnt areas and clearings over deaf coniferous massifs.

Kinds

Blue Grouse / Dendragapus obscurus

The blue grouse lives in North America. In color, it is a bit like the Canadian Grouse, but its plumage colors are duller, smoky. In size, it is twice the size of the Canadian Grouse, about the same as our black grouse. Like wild grouse, blue grouse leads an inconspicuous way of life, living in coniferous and mixed forests of the Rocky Mountains, but, unlike wild grouse, prefers more open places in nesting time - grassy glades with separate groups of trees. Male blue grouse have patches of bare skin on the sides of their necks that are colored yellow or red.

During mating, they swell with bright bubbles under the pressure of the easily distensible esophagus, strongly inflated by the current bird. These bubbles serve as a kind of resonators, amplifying the sounds of a special mating song, consisting of 5-6 separate abrupt low notes, like “up..up.. up.. up.. up..”. Areas of bare skin on the neck are otherwise hidden by surrounding feathers, colored in the same way as the rest, but with white bases. When these areas of the skin swell with bright bubbles during courtship, the feathers surrounding them stand upright and their white bases create bright white corollas around the red bubbles, which gives the current male an unusual and very beautiful appearance.

The nesting life of the blue grouse proceeds in the same way as that of the wild grouse. For the winter, they rise to the mountains, to the belt of continuous coniferous forests, where all the winter months they feed almost exclusively on the needles of spruce, fir and pseudo-hemlock.

Caucasian black grouse / Lyrurus mlokosiewi

The Caucasian black grouse is similar to the common black grouse, but a little smaller and slightly different in plumage color. In males, it is dull or velvety black, almost without shine, there is no mirror on the wing. The extreme helmsmen are bent more down than to the sides. In the female, the mottles are smaller and uniform, forming a striated pattern. The Caucasian black grouse is distributed in an extremely limited area - within the alpine belt of the Main Caucasian Range and the Lesser Caucasus, at an altitude of 1500 to 3000 m above sea level. The Caucasian black grouse inhabits alpine meadows covered with rich vegetation, thickets of rhododendron and undersized birch; in winter it occurs in the subalpine upper forests and on the warms of the lower part of the alpine zone.

Black grouse / Tympanuchus americanus

The prairie grouse is somewhat smaller in size than the common grouse, but differs from it, as well as from other grouse, by two bunches of long feathers on the sides of the neck. Under these bundles, bare skin and subcutaneous sacs that communicate with the windpipe are hidden. In the spring, during mating, the prairie grouse inflates these bags and makes sounds similar to shots on a big drum. In general appearance, the prairie grouse resembles a capercaillie, and in its movements it resembles domestic chickens. Male and female have the same variegated coloration with dark transverse stripes on the underside.

The meadow grouse is widespread in North America, where it inhabits treeless plains. Most often keeps on the dry glades overgrown with rare bushes or low grass. Does not avoid prairie grouse and cultivated fields, where it often goes out to feed. The meadow grouse is predominantly a ground bird. The prairie grouse sits on trees only in bad weather or in order to feed on berries. The prairie grouse feeds on both vegetable and animal feed. From the first, he eats the tips of young leaves, seeds of wild and cultivated plants, all kinds of berries; from the second - various insects and their larvae, snails and other invertebrates. The meadow grouse is one of the most popular game birds.

Black Grouse / Tympanuchus phasianellus

The sharp-tailed grouse got its name for two pairs of narrow, sharply elongated feathers in the center of the tail, protruding several centimeters beyond its edge, with the central pair being the longest. The coloration of this species is of the same protective character as that of the steppe grouse, differing only in the details of the pattern and the longitudinal rather than transverse striation of the chest.

Males and females are colored the same, but females are somewhat smaller and have a shorter tail. Adult birds, like hazel grouse, have a small crest. This is one of the most common and numerous species of American grouse, distributed from the forest tundra to the prairies and from the Rocky Mountains to the Great Lakes.

The sharp-tailed black grouse is also characterized by group display, and in the mating ritual of males, the most interesting is the so-called "dance". Spreading his open wings and raising his tail vertically, the male rapidly stamps his feet, slowly moving along a complex trajectory, somewhat resembling a clockwork toy azroplane.

Black Grouse / Centrocercus urophasianus

The sagebrush grouse is the most unusual among the American grouse birds, as well as the largest of them. Males have a mass of about 3 kg, females - 1.7 kg. Males and females are painted in a similar way in modest grayish-sand colors, and only on the belly there is a black-brown spot. The sagebrush grouse is remarkable, first of all, because in its distribution and daily life it is closely related to the thickets of sagebrush bushes on the desert foothills of the Rocky Mountains. These plants serve as both shelter and main source of nutrition throughout the year.

Constant feeding on tender leaves of wormwood gradually led to atrophy of the gastric muscle, so powerfully developed in all gallinaceous birds, and the transformation of the stomach into a highly extensible thin-walled organ. Wormwood grouse are polygamous. Males gather in the spring on traditional leks, usually located on the tops of hills, and as early as the beginning of the 20th century. leks were known, where several hundred birds gathered. The current ritual of males is exceptionally peculiar. There are no ups, no jumps, no song vocalizations.

Great Black Grouse / Tympanuchus cupido

The great steppe grouse inhabits the open prairie and forest-steppe of the central regions of North America. In size, it is slightly inferior to the common black grouse: old males usually weigh no more than 1100 g, females are somewhat smaller. In color, males and females are almost indistinguishable - evenly motley, with a striated pattern, especially pronounced on the chest, and a predominance of sand and yellowish-brown tones. This coloration is clearly protective in nature and makes the birds hardly noticeable against the background of burnt grass. Males are easily recognizable due to the peculiar decorating feathers - "ears", growing in two bunches on the sides of the upper part of the neck.

At the beginning of the XX century. The great steppe grouse, using the fields of grain crops as the main food base, noticeably increased in number and expanded its range up to the southern regions of Canada, but soon the intensification of agriculture and immoderate hunting gave the opposite result. Currently, this species has survived only in a few places in the midwestern United States, and its numbers have become so small that it was listed in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Lifestyle and behavior

Kosachi prefer to live in such forests where there are open areas: as a rule, small groves, light forests. They often settle along the edges of agricultural lands or water meadows, in burnt areas or clearings. Gloomy dense forests are avoided. They prefer birch forests, less often - moorlands and swamps. The most favorite place that grouse wants to live in is a birch forest, it is not for nothing that in Germany the birds were called birch for this sympathy! Previously, birds also settled in the steppes, but in the course of the development of agriculture, these lands passed to man, who pushed the winged giants out.

These birds prefer to nest on the ground, having specially chosen a safe place in dense shrubs or thickets. Sometimes a small depression in the ground is chosen for the "dwelling". Building a nest is the responsibility of the female, the male will not take any part in this process. The finished "home" is insulated with feathers, dry grass. The grouse lays about 6-8 eggs and incubates them herself. After about a month, sometimes - three weeks - the chicks hatch. Their food in the first days of life will be larvae and insects. However, adult birds prefer plant foods: buds, leaves, berries, juniper cones, flowers and seeds.

Caucasian black grouse more willingly settle in thickets of rhododendron and dog rose, inhabit small juniper groves and nest among undersized birches. Nests are located in bushes or on meadow slopes; the female is incubating the eggs and caring for the offspring. Eggs, as a rule, no more than six. Like ordinary black grouse, Caucasian representatives prefer to stay in packs; in winter, females tend to stick to males.

During the spring months, birds climb trees to taste the fresh buds or shoots. Having hooked on the trunk with strong paws, they can hang upside down for a long time. Birds do not like to change their place of residence, which was the reason for their almost complete destruction: it was not difficult for hunters to find the nests of these big beauties.

What do grouse eat?

Black grouse is mainly a herbivorous bird. They consume animal food at an early age, as chicks, but over time it ceases to be important to them. A special variety in feed is observed in the period of spring and summer. Then the black grouse in large quantities eats seeds, flowers, buds, inflorescences, leaves of numerous shrubs and herbaceous plants, which vary depending on the geographical region.

In winter, black grouse mainly pecks shoots, catkins and buds of trees.- aspens, willows, alders and birches. It also feeds on "winter" pine cones and juniper berries. But grouse chicks in the first days of their lives need only animal food and eat flies, mosquitoes, cicadas, spiders, bedbugs, ants, caterpillars, beetles and other insects. The digestive system of an adult black grouse must necessarily contain small pebbles that facilitate the digestion of feed, facilitating their grinding.

reproduction

Having huddled together for the winter in large flocks, by the end of winter, black grouse begin to stay in areas of future currents and soon break up into separate groups: in one we see only males, in the other - females. As soon as the March sun begins to warm, the black grouse begin to show. The timing of the appearance of the current depends to a decisive extent on the geographical location of the area and climate, as well as on the timeliness of the onset of spring. Therefore, they cannot be uniform and fluctuate greatly. So, in one of the springs, the beginning of the mating was noted: in the Yaroslavl region on March 7; in Pskov on March 12, and in Kaluga on March 22. By this time, the eyebrows of the males are very swollen and the belligerent mood towards other roosters is more and more manifested.

Typical places for grouse currents in the middle lane are outdoor places, stubble and fallow land adjacent to a birch or mixed forest, forest edges overgrown with rare bushes and trees and large clearings in the middle of the forest, sandy manes among flooded river floodplains, and sometimes a vast moss swamp. among the grain crops, etc. In March, the scythes sing in the trees, but with the formation of thawed patches, they begin to lek on the ground.

At the beginning of spring, mating begins shortly before sunrise, at five o'clock in the morning; in April - about four o'clock, by the end of the month - at the third hour, and in May - at the second hour of the night. From the middle of spring, the blackies also show up in the evening, from about seven o'clock until sunset. In the midst of the current, in good, warm weather, the roosters sing until ten o'clock in the morning, after which they fly one by one into the forest to feed.

Black grouse usually spend the night not far from their currents. Black grouse lek best of all in clear, quiet, slightly cold weather. Teterkas first arrive in the current area only for two or three hours. Later, from the middle of spring, they appear on the outskirts of the current at dawn, betraying their presence by clucking. The mating process itself usually occurs near the current, but often beyond it.

The peak period of the current takes place in an atmosphere of fierce fights between current roosters. As a rule, adults, strong kosachs sing in the center of the lek, and young people cling to the outskirts of the lek. One of the old roosters arrives first and begins to lek. Often, young blackies prefer to sing alone, away from the main current. Although the current rooster loses its usual caution at the moments of excitement (especially during a fight), it continues to hear and see everything around perfectly.

On average, the duration of the spring display of black grouse is six to seven weeks, but in late spring it often lasts for two and a half to three months. The first to leave the current are old and adult birds: the roosters clog in the support for molting, and the grouse, having completed the full laying of eggs, begin to incubate. The courtship of young Blackies can be observed in June, and in some cases even in July, but with much less intensity. Most females sit on their eggs in mid-May.

At first, the chicks feed on earthworms and insects, and when they grow up, they begin to eat plant food (berries, seeds, leaves, etc.). Broods, having reached a certain age, unite in flocks and roam in search of food throughout the forest.

Enemies and limiting factors

The most dangerous predators for black grouse are foxes, martens, wild boars and goshawks. The common fox often sniffs out black grouse under the snow, where they hide in severe frosts. She, as well as representatives of the mustelid family (especially sable) often hunt for a brood of chickens during the breeding season. Goshawks attack black grouse at any time of the year, especially often in autumn and winter.

Natural predators do not have a significant impact on the change in the number and distribution of black grouse, although over the past decades their pressure on black grouse has increased significantly. A much greater danger to them is human economic activity - draining and ennobling moorlands, planting forests, using fertilizers in agriculture and grazing livestock in alpine meadows. Only since the 1970s did the distribution of black grouse in Central and Western Europe decline very sharply, and now its range in this region has broken into small fragments, mainly high in the mountains.

The number of birds in populations usually does not exceed 100–200 birds, and only in the Alps can a stable situation be observed. Other anthropogenic negative factors for the spread of birds are also human disturbance (tourism, skiing, picking mushrooms and berries, etc.), the construction of power lines, uncontrolled hunting. For example, in Norway alone, more than 26,000 birds per year are killed by wire strikes. Natural factors that significantly reduce the number of black grouse are considered to be prolonged cold snaps during the breeding season and warm winters with frequent changes of heat and cold, during which a thin film of ice forms on the snow - crust.

• Female black grouse make fast, clucking sounds "ko-ko", at the end of the bird they stretch them. Males mutter loudly and for a long time, when danger approaches, they make a dull sound “chuu-ish”.
• The loud song of males can be heard only during the mating season, in the second half of March and in April. But during the summer molt, which occurs in July, the black grouse is usually silent.
• Black grouse often appear on postage stamps from different countries. The Caucasian black grouse is depicted on the 1 ruble silver coin, which was issued by the Bank of Russia on October 24, 1995.
• In Russia and Scandinavian countries, the black grouse is one of the most popular commercial hunting birds, the number of carcasses shot is greater only for the white partridge and hazel grouse. In the early 1990s, about 120,000 individuals of these birds were shot annually in Russia.
• Black grouse have pronounced sexual characteristics: even the inexperienced will not confuse males and females. Females are motley, brown-gray, less often dark yellow, make sounds similar to cackling, and males are black, with a green or purple tint, owners of a sonorous voice.
• Males take almost no part in raising chicks. Both the arrangement of the nest and the care of the young are done by the females. They feed the babies and carefully hide them from danger.
• If females see an approaching predator, they will divert attention to themselves by running away from the nest in order to save the chicks.

Video

Sources

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black grouse#Enemies_and_limiting_factors https://www.manorama.ru/article/teterev.html https://florofauna.ru/birds/teterivinie.php