Sooty Blue Grouse

Sooty Blue Grouse 

• Breeding season  late April
• Clutch size 12 eggs
• Incubation period 28-30 days
• 2.3-3.3 pounds

The Sooty Blue Grouse is a relatively new bird species that was formerly referred to simply as the Blue Grouse. In 2006, Blue Grouse was split into two distinct species: the Sooty Blue Grouse and the Dusky Blue Grouse. Grouse are mostly land dwellers.

Although it is closer in species to a turkey, this handsome little bird actually looks more like a chicken. Their wings span an impressive 23 inches and the bird averages about 20 inches in length. Males are dark gray with a black-tipped tail and two yellow combs over their eyes; females are grayish brown overall.

This bird occupies a narrow range of land between the coast and the cascade that spans from northern California to Alaska's Glacier Bay. Sooty blue grouses are most comfortable dwelling in forest-like areas where they spend most of their time on the ground. They are drawn to openings in evergreen forests that are often shaped by fire or extreme weather. They thrive in higher elevations.

Housing Requirements: This bird requires an outdoor space of its own with access to trees to perch on and plants to eat. If you are keeping in an aviary, grouse need to be kept in pairs. In the wild one male will cover a 3-10 acre territory and may keep more than one female.

Diet: Grouse are omnivores, eating insects and other invertebrates as well as vegetation. They might eat frogs, berries, seeds, plant shoots, and leaves, among other things.