Western capercaillie

Western capercaillie
Tetrao urogallus, Linnaeus, 1758

It is a resident bird. It prefers old, mature coniferous forests; pine stands rich in blueberries, with an admixture of aspen and spruce. The western capercaillie avoids open areas. In spring, spectacular courtship displays can be observed. The mating song is divided into four parts: double-clicks, trilling, popping and grinding. In summer they have a very varied food base, while in winter they can survive by eating solely pine, fir and spruce needles. In Poland, this species is disappearing at a rapid pace, which is why the State Forests are trying restitute it in several places in the country. The western capercaillie was on the list of game birds until 1995.
Distribution: from the Pyrenees and the Dinaric Mountains to northwestern Mongolia

male
body length: 80-115 cm
wingspan: 120-145 cm
body mass: 3,9-6,5 kg
female
body length: 54-63 cm
wingspan: 96-104 cm
body mass: 1,7-2,5 kg