DUSKY GROUSE 91 



Family TETRAONIDAE, Grouse 



DENDRAGAPUS OBSCURUS OBSCURUS (Say) 

 DUSKY GROUSE 



HABITS 



The big " blue grouse " of the southern Rocky Mountains ranges 

 from southern Idaho and northern Colorado to Arizona and New 

 Mexico. Two other subspecies of obscurus occupy the more northern 

 parts of the Rocky Mountains. Its home is in the mountains from 

 about 2,000 feet in the foothills, or as low as quaking aspens grow, 

 up to timber line at 11,000 or 12,000 feet. It was formerly very 

 common in the coniferous forests, but it has now disappeared from 

 many of its former haunts and is becoming scarce in others. Coues 

 (1874) quotes from Mr. Trippe's notes, regarding its haunts in 

 Colorado, as follows: 



The " Gray Grouse," as this species is universally called, is a rather common 

 bird throughout the mountains, from the foot-hills up to timberline, aud, during 

 summer, wanders at times above the woods as high as the summit of the range. 

 Excepting for a brief period in August and September, it rarely approaches the 

 vicinity of clearings, frequenting the dense pine forests, and showing a pref- 

 erence for the tops of rocky and inaccessible mountains. In its nature, in short, 

 it is the exact counterpart of the Ruffed Grouse, having the same roving, restless 

 disposition ; living upon the same diet of buds and berries ; frequenting the 

 same rugged, craggy mountain haunts; and, like that bird, is more or less 

 solitary in its habits, and constantly moving from place to place on foot. 



Mrs. Florence M. Bailey (1928) writes of it in New Mexico: 



In the depths of the coniferous forest you may suddenly discover a Dusky 

 Grouse with its small pointed head and henlike body sitting quietly on a log 

 facing you, as if secure in its disguise — a dusky bird in the dusky woods sur- 

 rounded by shadowy tree trunks. From a forest trail you may flush one that 

 has been dusting itself in the soft earth, or hearing a muffled ventriloquial 

 hooting may creep up within sight of the lordly cock at the foot of a conifer, 

 with purplish red neck pouches dilated. Again in the open, you may be 

 startled by a loud whir and look up to see great dark forms with a wide spread 

 of wing disappearing over your head ; or, on a steep mountain side, catch sight 

 of a big Grouse sailing off below you with stiff outstretched wings and a spread 

 tail, whose gray band makes a striking mark to follow among the branches. 

 If still more fortunate, you may surprise a family in a mountain meadow, for 

 strawberries are evidently one of their favorite summer foods. 



Courtship. — Bendire (1892) quotes from some notes received from 

 Denis Gale, as follows : 



During the mating season if you are anywhere near the haunts of a pair you 

 will surely hear the male and most likely see him. He may interview you on 

 foot, strutting along before you, in short hurried tacks alternating from right 

 to left, with widespread tail tipped forward, head drawn in and back and 

 wings dragging along the ground, much in the style of a turkey gobbler. At 



