ORNITHOLOGIST 



—AND- 



OOLOGIST. 



SI. 00 per 



Annum. 



PUBLISHED BY FRANK B. WEBSTER. 

 Established, March. 1875. 



Single Copy 

 10 cents. 



Vol. XVI. 



HYDE PARK, MASS., OCTOBER, 1891. 



No. 10. 



Nesting of the Sooty Grouse. 



Doubtless a few remarks ou tlie nesting luibits 

 of the Sooty (iroiise (Dendragapus obscurns 

 fulirjinosa) from one who has had abundant op- 

 portunities for observation will not prove unin- 

 teresting. My observations cover a ijeriod of 

 eleven years, most of which time I have been 

 a resident of Salem, Oregon. This point seems 

 to be the centre of the avian population in 

 Oregon, and the reason that there is a larger 

 variety of birdshere than elsewhere in the state 

 may be explained in a few^ words. 



Salem is the centre of a well watered and 

 fertile country, producing phenomenal fruit 

 crops; is almost surrounded by hills; is 

 blessed with an almost perfect climate, having 

 neither the long droughts of California nor 

 the tedious rains of points farther north. 



The face of the (H)untry is very diversified, — 

 a few hours' ride taking one into totally differ- 

 ent conditions of soil and temperature, and 

 consequently of flora and fauna. The result 

 is that this point is especially favorable for 

 ornithology. 



The race of Di-n(h'u;iiiliii>< found here is not 

 iiuite typical fidlyinona, still nearer to that 

 than to (ihsruruH or richardsoni. These birds 

 are very numerous here, and are more desir- 

 able as game birds in the minds of Oregon 

 farmers and sportsmen than any other of our 

 native birds. Large numbers are killed by the 

 farmers during the " hooting" season, and still 

 more by city hunters, from the wheat fields in 

 the fall, still their numl)er has not diminished 

 alarmingly. 



When the rainy season commences in the fall 

 the "Grouse" all disappeai-, and are not often 

 seen until the next sirring. Their disappear- 

 ance gave rise to a vast amount of speculation 

 among the early settlers, but it was at last 

 learned that the birds retired to the top of the 

 tall, thick fir trees, living on fir needles all 



winter, only coming for gravel in the morning 

 and evening twilight. 



From the tops of these trees during the 

 mating season comes the dismal hooting of 

 the male bird, — five short " hoots," repeated 

 at intervals of two or three minutes, from 

 daylight till dark, — sometimes when it is quite 

 daik. This hooting may be heard on warm, 

 sunny days even iu January, but becomes gen- 

 eral about February l.ith, and may be heard in 

 almost any fir grove for twelve or fifteen weeks. 

 It is said to be a " love call," but I confess 

 it does not sound very loving, for it seems to be 

 taken by other males in the vicinity as a chal- 

 lenge to combat. 



About this time the females vary their diet 

 by an occasional meal of young grass, straw- 

 berry leaves, etc., and are frequently flushed. 

 The male is busy hooting and spends most 

 of his time in his tree till incubation is well 

 under way. 



! The nest is usually situated iu the edge of 

 woods or in partly overgrown clearings, almost 



! always protected and often well hid by fallen 



I limbs or backberry bushes or small shrubs. 



j The base of a .small, deciduous tree, surrounded 

 by grass and shrubs, seems to be a favorite 

 location. 



The eggs are deposited on a few leaves, or, 

 according to tlie situation, on dry fir needles. 

 In the nest there are usually a few feathers 

 from the females. I liave found the nest in- 

 variably by flushing the bird. 



Complete sets of eggs may be found as early 

 as April ■25th. and varying with the season from 

 that date until May 15th, although by the 

 latter date they are badly incubated. 



This season I collected three sets of eggs 



I April 28th, and two sets two weeks later, 

 making forty-two eggs in all. On June 12th I 

 found young birds which were able to fly. 

 Now, on August 2.')th, it is difficult to dis- 

 tinguish between the parents and young in the 

 field. 



CopyriElit. 18;)1. by Fuaxk b. Webster. 



