General

Dusky Grouse: Large, chicken-like bird, dark gray to blue-gray plumage, red-orange eye combs, black squared tail with narrow pale gray terminal band. Patch of violet-red skin on neck surrounded by white feathers is displayed during courtship. Female is brown mottled with gray underparts, and lacks eye combs and air sacs.

Range and Habitat

Dusky Grouse: Resident from the Yukon and Northwest Territories, south to Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. Preferred habitats include burned areas, montane forests, slashes, and subalpine forest clearings.

Breeding and Nesting

Dusky Grouse: Seven to sixteen pink buff eggs, usually spotted brown, are laid in a ground scrape lined with pine needles and grass, usually sheltered by a stump or rock. Incubation ranges from 25 to 26 days and is carried out by the female. Precocial young leave nest soon after hatching.

Foraging and Feeding

Dusky Grouse: Feeds almost exclusively on conifer needles during winter. In spring, summer, and fall, diet shifts to insects, spiders, salal berries, snowberries, red huckleberry fruit, and fern tips; forages on the ground.

Vocalization

Dusky Grouse: Male gives a series of deep hoots "whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop, whoop", that can rarely be heard beyond 100 feet.

Similar Species

Dusky Grouse: Male Spruce Grouse has white bars on breast, barred back, and brown terminal tail band. Female has narrow rust-brown terminal tail band and white bars on underparts. Ruffed Grouse is browner, has black subterminal tail band and more white on underparts. Sooty Grouse has a wider gray terminal band on tail, male has yellow air sacs and yellow combs over eyes.