Dusky Grouse
Dendragapus obscurus
Unlike most birds, they perform a 'reverse migration,' moving to higher, harsher elevations during the winter to feed almost exclusively on hemlock and fir needles.
- Scientific name
- Dendragapus obscurus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Aves › Galliformes › Phasianidae › Dendragapus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- decreasing
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- High-altitude coniferous forests and subalpine meadows.
- Diet
- Conifer needles (winter), berries, seeds, and insects (summer).
- Range
- Rocky Mountains, Interior Northwest North America, Utah, Colorado, Idaho
- Size
- 44-53 cm in length; 750-1300g weight
- Lifespan
- 3-5 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation and loss of mature conifer stands due to logging and climate-induced fire regimes.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless and often bold, sometimes allowing humans to approach closely. Maintain a distance of 10-15 feet to avoid stressing the bird. If it flushes, do not pursue.
The dusky grouse ( Dendragapus obscurus ) is a species of forest-dwelling grouse native to the Rocky Mountains in North America. It is closely related to the sooty grouse ( Dendragapus fuliginosus ), and the two were previously considered a single species, the blue grouse.
Photo: Tuoichen, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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