852 



A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



The Capercaillie (Tetrao u, uragallus). 

 Adult female. 



on back and rump) of whitish-grey speckled with black, a few 

 large white spots at tips of some scapulars ; upper tail-coverts 

 rufous-buff to chestnut irregularly barred black and conspicuously 

 tipped white ; chin buff ; throat and upper -breast orange -buff to 

 chestnut-buff, varying number of feathers with broad blue -black 

 penultimate bars and white tips, these being usually most numerous 

 at base of throat (sometimes whole throat and breast uniform 

 chestnut -buff) ; feathers of rest of under -parts orange-buff barred 

 black (penultimate bar broad) with long white tips ; feathers of 

 centre of belly as male very loose, brown with long white tips ; 

 feathers on front of tarsus speckled dark brown, buff and grey, those 

 at back long and loose and grey-white ; under wing-coverts barred 



orange -buff and brown and 

 tipped white ; axillaries white 

 with streaks or patches of 

 brown and some rufous ; tail 

 chestnut (varying in shade) 

 narrowly tipped dull white, 

 rather narrowly and often 

 brokenly barred black-brown, 

 penultimate bar being 

 broadest ; primaries dark 

 brown, outer webs mottled 

 pale red-brown, inner three 

 with outer webs uniform, tips edged rufous and inner edge of 

 inner webs speckled rufous ; secondaries dark brown mottled buff 

 to rufous chiefly along outer edge, narrowly tipped dull white, 

 innermost more mottled and white tips longer and purer ; wing- 

 coverts as mantle and back, innermost and lowest series of median 

 with some large white spots at tips as scapulars. This plumage is 

 acquired by complete moult July-Oct. sometimes commencing 

 June. There appears to be no second moult on head and neck as 

 in male. N.B. — Females with varying amount of male -like plumage 

 occur as do hybrids with Black Grouse. 



Nestling. — Closely covered with longish soft down, shorter on 

 head and tarsus ; toes bare. Crown and neck yellowish-buff, down 

 tipped slightly rufous on nape, whole crown marked with black 

 lines and blotches more distinct on lores, fore -head, over eyes, 

 in centre of crown and sides of neck, those on nape less distinct ; 

 back of neck yellowish, down with black bases, that on lower part 

 tipped rufous with some blackish but no lines or blotches ; rest of 

 upper-parts pale yellowish-buff, down tipped rufous and black form- 

 ing ill-defined pattern ; wings more rufous, edged black ; under- 

 pays pale bufflsh -yellow, bases of down sooty ; at base of throat a 

 patch tinged orange-buff. Down is replaced by juvenile feathers. 



Juvenile. Male. — Crown and neck bufhsh-grey very narrowly 

 barred black-brown ; mantle and scapulars buff -brown much more 

 broadly barred and vermiculated black-brown, feathers with pale 

 wedge-shaped tip and often narrow pale buff shaft-streak ; back 



