Pheasants and Grouse

Spruce Grouse - Rampart Creek Alberta, AB On the way through Banff National Park, we drove past a
Spruce Grouse - Rampart Creek Alberta, AB
Sooty Grouse - Cypress Mountain Lodge, BC One of the resident Grouse we have here in the mountains above Vancouver are Sooty Grouse. These birds were split some time ago in to the Sooty and Dusky grouse, where they were once all called Blue Grouse. The males of this species use a very low frequency booming as a mating call which can be heard in the spring coming from several locations up the mountain. The low frequency carries longer distances so the females can hear a potential mate from several mountains over. this was on the lower slopes of Cypress Mountain, just above the lodge. Michael W Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com 2022
Sooty Grouse - Cypress Mountain Lodge, BC
Dusky Grouse - Fording River, BC This Dusky grouse hen froze on the side of the road as I travelled by. This survival strategy works when the predator doesn't have a projectile to make you part of dinner that evening. The Dusky Grouse was split from the Sooty grouse of the western rain forests which used to make up the Blue Grouse species with this grouse being slightly less gray and lighter overall. I have only seen dusky and sooty grouse in the mountains with this being no exception living along Fording River in the Rocky Mountain range. Michael W Klotz 2021 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Dusky Grouse - Fording River, BC
Ruffed Grouse - Kamloops, BC This first year bird was doing a very good job of showing off his
Ruffed Grouse - Kamloops, BC
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Sooty Grouse Chick - Cypress Mountain, BC
Sooty Grouse - Cypress Mountain, BC On a recent tour I gave of our local mountains, we came upon a Sooty grouse and her three chicks just in from Bowen Lookout. She was watching from a lookout in a Hemlock tree and when she felt the coast was clear, she softly 'chucked' and on queue, the three grouse walked out onto the path, where she led them down the hill. The mating call of this bird is tremendously low pitched so that the sound caries between the mountain tops and valleys. The male of this species is very dark indeed making this female look quite light. Michael W Klotz 2019 - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Sooty Grouse - Cypress Mountain, BC
Chukar - Kamloops, BC On a cold morning, I stopped to see if I could get a look at some of the resident Chukar near Sun Rivers Golf in Kamloops. It turned out to be a very easy camera shot that day as several of the birds were picking the fruit from this Russian Olive quite near the road. They are a released bird here in this area but do very well in and around the golf course hiding in the dry wash as well as feeding in the fairways. Michael W Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Chukar - Kamloops, BC
Sooty Grouse - Burnaby, BC On the top of a granite knoll in the middle of Burnaby that just couldn't be ground down by the glaciers was male Sooty Grouse that was looking for love. Its the highest location around that still has forests on several fronts. When I walked up the hill he was in full regalia, but by the time I got my camera out, his orange throat pouches were covered. He was very accommodating even after the displays in the way of a photo shoot. Michael Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Sooty Grouse - Burnaby, BC
Ruffed Grouse - Kane Valley, BC An Early morning drive up Kane Valley was very productive birding wise. Along the side of the road was this well camouflaged game bird. It apparently is used to the traffic as it casually walked to the poplar tree you see it in here and flew to the lowest branch and started eating the buds off the tree while I took a couple shots through the open window. Michael Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Ruffed Grouse - Kane Valley, BC
Chukar - Kamloops These introduced game birds seem to have found a respite in the green fairways and backyards of Sun Rivers golf community. The males look for rock outcroppings to call to the females in the spring. When that isnt available, the top of a house on the top of the ridge will do. Michael Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com
Chukar - Kamloops
Ring-necked Pheasant - On an outting with a birding friend John Gordon, we came across a pheasant making his way across a farm road in Delta. He was looking very impressive for the ladies with some beautifully long tail feathers and bright red facial skin. Pheasants are an introduced bird to North America, and had done very well, but numbers are decreasing in many areas. Michael Klotz - www.TheBirdBlogger.com Picture
Ring-necked Pheasant - Delta
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Ring-necked Pheasant - Delta
Sooty Grouse - Manning Park, BC Along the road up to the sub alpine meadow at Manning park, this female sooty grouse was parked on the side of the road not moving. As it turned out there were little ones running through the Lupine. Michael W Klotz 2020 - www.TheBirdBlogger.comPicture
Sooty Grouse - Manning Park, BC