Grouse

Birds of North America

Phasianidae

Lives, Habitats & Pictures of Grouse

Grouse are among the upland game birds that are seen in the savannah and forests of North America. These birds can be found on the edges of the woods or even in the alpines above the tree lines of taller mountains in the warmer months. With their ability to avoid being discovered by their use of stealth or taking advantage of the colouring of their plumage, hiding in the foliage of the trees or in the undergrowth of the forest floor. Grouse will shelter themselves under the soft snow in the winter, using the snow as insulation from the cold and a hiding place from their predators.

There are six types of grouse in North America, the Ruffed Grouse and Spruce Grouse are the most abundant and widespread. The Sharp-tailed Grouse has characteristics similar to the prairie chickens, found in larger flocks from Central North America into the West, most often found in open areas where they are able to fly unobstructed. The Blue Grouse is separated into two sub-species, one called the Sooty Grouse, found near the Pacific Coast and the Dusky Grouse found in the interiors of the West. Then, there are the Greater Sage-Grouse of the mid-West prairies and the Gunnison Sage-Grouse found only in Colorado.

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Classic Collection of North American Birds

CCNAB