Dusky Grouse

     The Dusky Grouse is a forest-dwelling Grouse species native to the Rocky Mountains in North America. It’s closely related to the Sooty Grouse and both species were previously considered as two subspecies for a single species under the name of the ‘Blue Grouse’. The Dusky Grouse used to be considered the paler, interior subspecies that occupies drier east-side habitats of the birds’ distribution range.

     The male Dusky grouse is mainly of a dark color with a purplish throat air sacs surrounded by white, and a yellow to red wattle over the eyes. Females tend to be browner with barring on the head, neck, and back. Both sexes of the Dusky grouse have long, square tails which are unbarred, and uniform blue-grey breasts and bellies. These birds are most likely to be confused with the Spruce Grouse too. But male Spruce Grouse considerably smaller and have a black breast patch. While female Spruce Grouse have white underparts with conspicuous black barring, unlike female Dusky Grouse that are bluish-grey beneath.

     The female Dusky grouse lays 5 – 10 eggs and incubate them for 25 – 28 days. The young chicks can make short flights at age of 8 – 9 days and are full-grown at about 13 weeks. There are 4 recognized subspecies for the Dusky grouse, which inhabits mixed forests in mountainous regions of western North America, from south-eastern Alaska and Yukon south to New Mexico.