Western Capercaillie

     The Western Capercaillie, also known as the Wood Grouse, the Heather Cock, or just the Capercaillie, is the largest member of the Grouse family. Its closest relative is the Black-Billed Capercaillie, which breeds in the forests of eastern Russia and parts of northern Mongolia and China. And both species are known to hybridize in the far west of the latter species’ finding range.

     The male Western Capercaillie is a large ‘Gamebird’ that resembles a Turkey to some people. They are slate-grey over most of their bodies, and have reddish-brown upper wings with prominent white shoulders. The male Capercaillie’s head, neck and breast have a bluish-sheen, with the eye surrounded by a ring of bright-red skin. They also have beards, and long tails held upright and fanned out during their displays. Female Capercaillies are much smaller birds and lack the flamboyant plumage of the male. The hen’s plumage is brown with striations over much of the body, with a rufous patch on the breast. Her tail is fan-shaped, although not as broad as that of the male.

     The breeding season of the Western Capercaillie starts according to spring weather progress, and vegetation development. It starts mainly between March and April and lasts until May or June. Three-quarters of this long courting season is mere territorial competition between neighboring cocks or cocks on the same courting ground. The female Capercaillie lays between 5 and 12 eggs per clutch which she incubates for 26 to 29 days. Within two weeks, the chicks will be able to fly for short distances, albeit rather weakly. They stay as a family with their mother throughout the rest of the summer months, joining larger groups in autumn. The male Capercaillie plays no part in the incubation or rearing the young.

     There are up to 13 subspecies for the Western Capercaillie that are found across Eurasia. The subspecies show increasing amounts of white on the underparts of males from west to east. It’s almost wholly black with only a few white spots underneath in western and central Europe to nearly pure white in Siberia.