[obol] Re: Request for help with grouse ID
- From: Joel Geier <joel.geier@xxxxxxxx>
- To: Oregon Birders OnLine <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 22:05:20 -0700
Hi All,
Sorry that I overlooked Tim's original request for ID help on photos,
until I saw Kevin's response.
The grouse in the photo appears to be a "Blue Grouse" based on overall
shape of the neck and head and proportions relative to the body. It is
hard to get a sense of scale, and I'm not going to try to dissect the
plumage details, but my impression is that it's a juvenile bird, not
full grown. That might explain why it looks pale in comparison with a
normal adult female Sooty Grouse.
From the link to Michael Schroeder's article that I posted previously:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/publications/01312/wdfw01312.pdf
you can see that the detailed range map for Sooty vs. Dusky Grouse
shows only Sooty Grouse in the Fremont-Winema National Forest area that
includes Winter Rim, Gearhart Mtn, and the Warner Mtns. As the article
also makes clear, identification of female birds in the field is tough
(unless you can somehow count tail feathers). Sorting out juveniles is
even tougher, unless of course you see mom nearby. So this is one where
you really have to go by range.
The range map in Michael Schroeder's article is carefully drawn, based
on the best available data, and the details in Oregon have been
confirmed by the upland gamebird professional who is in best position to
know based on hunter check station data. I suggest to just ignore the
maps in Sibley, NG and any other general guide in favor of this map (I
actually printed out this map on small scale and stuck it between the
pages of my Sibley guide).
Turning to Ruffed Grouse (though I'm pretty certain that this bird in
the photo was not a Ruffed Grouse), Kevin is right that the Ruffed
Grouse map in Sibley is very deceptive. Ruffed Grouse is a fairly common
bird in the Ochoco Mountains, particularly on the north slope. I've seen
& heard far more Ruffed Grouse than "Blue" Grouse in Wheeler County.
We've also found them out in the pine/juniper zones of the Antone CBC
away from the Ochocos proper. Steve Shunk once found a Ruffed Grouse
coming to water with a flock of 20-some Mountain Quail up a canyon
northwest of Picture Gorge. Seems to me that they also occur farther
north in Wheeler.Co.
Kevin is also right that the Tri-State area where California, Nevada,
and Oregon come together is also a problematic area for a lot of field
guides. This extends to a lot of other species including sapsuckers (and
perhaps in future editions, Scrub-Jays!).
The problem is that this is a very complex biogeographical area (as
others have commented), but it tends to be a neglected area for birders
in all three states. Many Oregon birders are only interested in this
area as a place to notch Juniper Titmouse on their year lists.
California birders occasionally get interested if someone finds a Yellow
Rail up at Cow Head lake, but otherwise there is frankly not much reason
to go there. For Nevada birders, this is a long way from Reno and even
farther from Las Vegas, and the only real attraction is the very distant
hope, in winter, of finding a Gyrfalcon.
Despite my youth on a farm and a few college years working as a de facto
machinist, I still have enough fingers and toes to count all of the
birders who have ever posted a substantial list for the Tri-State area,
either on OBOL or NVBIRDS.
After you get past Kevin Spencer (who I think has more experience than
anyone in this area), then Craig & Marilyn Miller (the most experienced
for Lake County as a whole), the late great Jack Walters (a truly
remarkable & larger-than-life fellow from Elko, maybe the most
accomplished birder who ever had a side career in servicing
rock-crushers for hard-rock mines), Rose Strickland (based in Reno), Roy
Gerig, Don Albright, Hendrik Herlyn & Oscar Harper, Bruce Van Dyk
(seasonal homeowner near Vya, who may have actually spent more time in
the region than anyone and -- by the way -- his Rancho Recluso near Vya,
NV is still up for sale, check the want ads on www.hcn.org), and ...
well my memory is failing me but there must be a few more folks ... it's
a scant few birders who have spent any significant time in this region.
OK, I wandered off the topic of grouse ID for just a bit. But I think
this is a juvenile "Blue" Grouse by appearances. Based on range it
should be a Sooty Grouse
Happy birding,
Joel
--
Joel Geier
Camp Adair area north of Corvallis
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