Fool’s hens

Spruce Grouse ~ Falcipennis canadensis

On a short hike across the north-facing slope below Sunset Peak in the Coeur d’Alene Mountains of western Montana the other day I came across a total of ten of these medium sized grouse whose species inhabits all of Canada and just the northernmost parts of the United States. Had I been a predator that day, I would have been well fed because they behave as their nickname implies, rather foolishly, letting me get within a few feet of them before they flew, depending to an amazing degree just on their camouflage alone. They weigh about a pound to a pound and a half and I have found them to be delicious.

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Spruce Grouse

Maybe because I told her that her babies were beautiful when I encountered her today on an old road just east of Baldy Mountain, this little spruce grouse stayed around and showed me every pose she knew. (I usually consider myself very fortunate to get even one shot.)

Spruce grouse live in 12 of our northern states including Alaska and widely across Canada and, although they are endangered or nearly so in some of the northeastern states and are losing habitat to development in many other areas they are not exactly rare. I seldom see one here though and consider it a real treat when I do.

Spruce Grouse, Falcipennnis canadensis

Grouse

A long, wet, cold hike in a thunderstorm is worthwhile (at least for me) to get to see these:

(Photographed at the upper end of Spring Creek in the Cabinet Mountains just below Bighole Peak where the colors of fall are already beginning to show.)