Capercaillie vulgaris: description, photo

Wood grouse is one of the largest birds living inforests. Its weight reaches 5 kg. An ordinary wood grouse has several folk names: a moss, a deaf black grouse, a hawk. This bird is from the family of pheasant (a group of chickens).

A little bit about the species of wood grouses

Ordinary wood grouse is a representative of one of thethe largest species of feathered game. The species of common capercaillie is divided into 3 subspecies: capercaillie belohryuhi, inhabiting the eastern and central regions of Russia; The dark taiga, inhabiting the eastern and northern regions of the country; Western European black-bellied (in the forests of the western territories of the country).

Common wood: photo, description

The grouse is the largest bird from the grouse (subfamily).

From other representatives, he has a tail, much rounded, and unusual feathers lengthened on his throat.

Plumage at the wood grouse dark with a shademetallic, a bright red eyebrow, feathers under the beak are like a "beard." Female wood grouse painted more colorful (a mixture of rusty-yellow, rusty-brown, rusty-red and white flowers). And her throat, part of the upper chest and part of the wing have a rusty red color.

An ordinary grouse is a bird, the size of which ismales and females are very different. Males reach 110 cm and more, their wings have a span of 1.4 m. Females are much smaller - by 1/3. Male head blackish. Neck on the back side ashy-gray with spots of black color, with front - gray-black. Color of back blackish with specks gray and brown. The breast has a greenish-steel color, its lower side is covered with white and black spots. The tail is black with spots of white color, wings are brown. The beak has a white-pink color.

Distribution, habitat

Inhabitant common wood common usually in coniferous, mixed and deciduous forests of Eurasia.

Practically, this bird leads a sedentary life, but it happens that sometimes it makes seasonal migrations.

Once upon a time there were wood-grouses in all the woodsEurasia, in the east of Siberia to the Transbaikal (western part). In the 18-20th centuries the number and habitat of the capercaillie greatly decreased, and in places these birds even disappeared. By the mid-18th century in the United Kingdom, these birds were completely exterminated. But later, in 1837, the common wood grouse was again brought there from Sweden and perfectly took root.

On the Russian territories, in connection with loggingnumerous forests, the population of the wood grouse began to recede to the northern part of the country, and in some southern regions in their forest zones (Tula, Voronezh, Kursk, etc.) these birds completely disappeared. In addition to Russia and Sweden, wood grouses can also be found in Greece, Spain, the Alps, the Carpathians, in Asia Minor and the Mid-German mountains.

Prefers the wood grouse deaf places in the forests.

Characteristic for this bird is springing, occurring mostly on trees. A number of peculiar features have an ordinary wood grouse.

Description of behavior and habits

During the summer period molting is observed in the wood grouse. At this time, they fly to especially dense forest tracts.

In such a period, these birds have a peculiar behavior: they periodically raise their tail and lower it, raise their head and throw them, while slowly moving along the branch.

Usually a wood grouse at this time so enthusiastically sings,that for a certain period becomes deaf. Hence the name of the capercaillie. The female, in turn, flies to the current, where the mating occurs, after which they leave it together and settle into the most deaf and impassable places of the forest, where their moulting takes place.

An ordinary grouse periodically appears in mixed and deciduous forests. They love these birds and moss bogs, which are rich in various berries.

The bird flies heavily, noisily, often flapping its wings loudly, and basically makes small flights.

Day time wood grouses conduct on the ground, and onbranches of trees spend the night. Sometimes it is overly aggressive when other animals appear. There are cases where sometimes a wood grouse tried to attack dogs and other small domestic animals (stories of Norwegians).

The wood grouse is pretty cautious, has excellent hearing and good eyesight. Therefore, hunting for it is considered difficult.

Offspring

The main concern for the offspring lies with the female. Nest she arranges on the ground, more often under the shelter of bushes or fallen trees, where in the future she lays eggs. Full masonry usually consists of about 5-16 eggs.

The female itself incubates eggs. She also continues to care for hatchlings: warms, protects from predators.

Food

The main type of food for wood grouses in spring and summerperiods are shoots of plants, various flowers, tree buds, leaves, grass, forest berries, seeds and insects. In the autumn time these birds feed mainly on needles of larch, and in winter they are attracted by spruce and pine needles and kidneys. Chicks have a special diet: spiders and insects.

Conclusion

Ordinary wood grouse is one of the mostvaluable objects of hunting for hunters. In this regard, in many areas both in Russia and in other countries of the world, it has become a rather rare inhabitant, and somewhere it has completely disappeared, and now various measures are being taken to protect this species.

An ordinary grouse is listed in the Red Book of Russia and the Tula region. This must be remembered for everyone who enjoys hunting.

For further specification of the number, concentration and status of this bird in the territory of Russia, detailed and lengthy studies are needed.