SOOTY GROUSE 111 



the presence of quite an audience ; they seem wholly absorbed in their 

 hooting and keep up their display in plain sight. How different from 

 the behavior of the shy ruffed grouse ! 

 K.A.Johnson (1929) writes: 



On September 6, I observed a brood of Sooty Grouse going to roost. I located 

 them by their low cackling noise which is often heard at such times. This 

 cackle is a subdued one and is somewhat similar to that of the domestic fowl, 

 except for the absence of the outbursting notes with which the domestic hen 

 ends her performance. In going to roost each bird settled upon a thick mat of 

 branches about eight feet from the trunk of the tree and from twelve to thirty 

 feet from the ground. In this position their dusky color blended somewhat 

 with the moss and lichen-covered branches. The birds settle singly, usually 

 with the head turned toward the tip of the broad frondlike branch upon which 

 they perch, yet concealed for the most part by overhanging branches. 



Voice. — In addition to what has been written above, I quote the 

 following observations by John M. Edson (1925), which describe 

 the hooting of this grouse, as well as its tameness : 



The voice of the grouse has an almost ventriloquial carrying power. Al- 

 though in reality his notes are not loud, they often may be heard for very con- 

 siderable distances. Still, it happens as frequently that the supposedly distant 

 hooter is in fact close at hand. The hooting appeared to commence about 4 

 A. M., or perhaps a bit earlier, and was heard off and on till after 9 P. M., 

 and sometimes even as late as 9 :45. The notes of the hooting Sooty Grouse 

 may perhaps be described as deep bass, but soft in quality, expressed as: 

 Oot, oot, oot, oot, t-oot, the second and fifth notes being noticeably subdued. 

 Different individuals vary this slightly. Frequently the last note is omitted, and 

 occasionally but three notes are given. The watch was held on one bird that 

 had been vociferating steadily for some time, one afternoon about 3 o'clock, 

 and it was found that his performances numbered just seven per minute for 

 each of four minutes, following which he became silent for a time. This bird 

 gave only four notes. 



The most interesting incident in connection with our grouse acquaintanceship 

 occurred on the morning of the 11th. The weather was pleasant, with a few 

 fleecy clouds and a southwest breeze. Somewhere down the rocky ridge that 

 pitched to the north from our camp, a grouse had been hooting since 4 o'clock. 

 As we sat by our camp-fire at breakfast the hooting seemed to draw nearer, and 

 eventually as if the bird might be out in the open space that commenced not 

 far below the camp. I rose to peep over a near-by rock that obstructed my view, 

 wondering if the bird might not be in sight. And indeed he was. Standing 

 upon another small, flat rock immediately behind the first and just eight paces 

 from where I stood, was our performer all posed for his act. I moved out 

 cautiously till he was in full view, then stood motionless. The bird seemed not 

 the least disturbed by my presence, and after giving me an inquisitive glance, 

 soon started the hooting ceremony once more. Standing with his side toward 

 me, his body pitched at an angle of about 45 degrees, the tail slightly drooping, 

 head well up and neck and breast feathers somewhat puffed out, he began by 

 drawing down his head and further inflating his feathers till the bill and head, 

 except from the eyes up, were concealed. Then throwing open the pocket of his 

 neck feathers he showed a hoilzontally elongated patch of white lining, in the 

 midst of which was distinguishable the yellowish air-sacs peculiar to the genus. 



