K. UPLAND GAMEBIRDS 



1) Introduction 



Four species of upland game birds inhabited the area of con- 

 cern prior to inundation of the pool area (U.S. Dep. Agric. 1938, 

 1948, 1958, Weckwerth and Couey 1962). It was assumed ruffed 

 grouse and blue grouse were common in the riparian areas, upland 

 shrub and a variety of forest types, while spruce grouse were 

 common in the denser coniferous forests. The Columbian sharp- 

 tailed grouse inhabited the inundated grass and shrub areas of the 

 Tobacco Plains. 



2) Seasonal Habitat Preference 



Ruffed grouse. The mixture of deciduous and conifer habitat 

 types within the area of concern provided yearlong habitat for the 

 resident ruffed grouse populaticxi. Ruffed grouse typically utilize 

 a mixture of deciduous and coniferous habitats on a year-round 

 basis (Edminster 1947, Hungerford 1951). C^n hardwood stands with 

 moderately dense herbaceous and sapling understory is preferred 

 habitat for courtship (drumming), nesting and brood rearing (Landry 

 1980) , though Stoneberg (1964) documented a nest in lodgepole pine 

 along the North Fork of the Flathead River. Riparian areas and 

 some of the coniferous forests (with scattered hardwoods) on lower 

 benches are probably the preferred year-round habitat of ruffed 

 grouse in northwestern Montana (U.S. Dep. Agric. 1966, Stoneberg 

 1964, Wright et al. 1983). 



Blue grouse. Blue grouse typically breed in open, park-like 

 stands of conifers interspersed with openings of herbaceous cover 

 (Mussehl 1963, Bendell and Elliot 1966, Martinka 1972). U.S. Dep. 

 Agric. (1966) noted blue grouse nested along the lower benches in 

 areas of Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine. South-facing slopes with 

 fire- induced openings within the area of concern were probably 

 preferred by this species. This habitat use pattern was noted by 

 Stoneberg (1964) for blue grouse along the North Fork of the Flat- 

 head River. This species displays altitudinal migration, moving 

 upslope to spruce-fir forests in the subalpine and at the subalpine- 

 alpine ecotone in winter (Bendell and Elliot 1966, U.S. Dep. Agric. 

 1966) . 



Spruce (Franklin's) grouse. Spruce grouse inhabit mixed 

 coniferous forest, generally preferring subalpine spruce-fir and 

 lodgepole pine (Johnsgard 1975). Jonkel and Greer (1963) noted 

 spruce grouse occurred in spruce-fir forests, interspersed with 

 fire-induced serai stands of western larch and lodgepole pine, in 

 the Whitefish Mountains approximately 25 miles east of the area of 

 concern. Stoneberg (1964) noted a preference for "medium" to 

 "dense" (>2,500 stems/acre) stands of lodgepole pine along the 

 North Fork of the Flathead River. Similar habitats were probably 

 utilized by this species within the Kootenai River drainage. 



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