the western capercaillie is the largest member of the grouse family, and is found throughout europe and asia. capercaillies show extreme sexual dimorphism – while males and females can be differentiated by color, the male is also two times the size of the female. capercaillies feed on leaves, buds, berries, seeds, and insects, foraging on the ground.
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the willow ptarmigan is a member of the grouse family found in europe, canada, and alaska. willow ptarmigans are named due to their preference for living in forests of willow trees; the buds of the willow trees form a large part of their diet, particularly in winter. ptarmigans shape and ‘landscape’ shrubs by eating all the buds on the lower branches within their reach. in the warmer months, ptarmigans are brown and white, and during the winter they molt to completely white plumage. males and females can be distinguished by the red wattles above the eyes, which only the males have.
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the rock ptarmigan is a medium-sized grouse species found in northern europe and canada. the ptarmigan has brown plumage in the summer to blend in with their rocky habitat, but in winter molts to all-white plumage to camouflage themselves in the snow. the rock ptarmigan’s preferred food is willow buds, but they readily eat other vegetation, seeds, and insects.
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an unusual but natural hybrid between a sharp tailed grouse and a greater prairie chicken. despite the confusion of the names, sharp-tailed grouse are also considered prairie chickens, and both species are members of the grouse family.
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the lesser prairie chicken is, despite its name, a member of the grouse family that is native to north america. it lives in a fraction of its former range, impacted by habitat loss, hunting, and climate change.
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a male greater prairie chicken displays by ‘booming’. the prairie chicken’s mating ritual involves puffing out the air sacs on their necks and snapping their tails. these behaviors take place on ‘booming grounds’, largely vegetation-free areas where the males may display for up to two months.
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a greater prairie chicken perched atop a skull in a field. greater prairie chickens were once abundant and had a large range throughout north america, but agricultural development has reduced their range and population size. despite their name, prairie chickens are actually a member of the grouse family.
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a leucistic greater prairie chicken. normally these birds are barred grayish-brown. leucism is a reduction in different pigments, not just melanin, that causes either an overall paler look or pale splotches (“pied”). greater prairie chickens are found in north america, though in only a fraction of their former range.
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today's bird 