Canadian Spruce Grouse
(Falcipennis canadensis)
The Canadian Spruce grouse is smaller than the Red grouse and it inhabits areas of boreal coniferous forests mostly pine and spruce. It can be found across Canada, Alaska and into North America.
Description
The male Spruce is grey in colour with black and white bars on his breast plummage and a black throat. He also has white spots on cheeks and a square grey and black tail with brown tips and red fleshy combs above his eyes. The female has a mottled brown plummage with dark and white bars on her under plummage. She also has a square grey and black tail with brown tips.
Reproducation
Spruce grouse are promiscious and the males establish territories preferably under good canopy cover in which they display (strutting, tail fanning, jumping etc) to attract females. clutch size is approx 5-8 eggs (incubation lasts 22-25 days).
Diet
The Spruce grouse predominantly feed upon conifer needles, but their diet also includes buds and catkins from spruce, larch, fir etc and seasonal berries and insects.
In Captivity
These grouse are a bit more difficult to breed in captivity, not a grouse for beginners.
