GROUSE 
153 
Figure 221 
Tail tip of Dusky Grouse; scale, 
b 
Figure 222 
Tail Tip of Sooty Grouse; scale, \. 
207a. Sooty Grouse, le tetras couleur de suie. Dendragopus fuliginosus. L, 
about 21. Like the previous species except tail with faint or no terminal grey bar. 
Distinctions. See previous species. 
Distribution. Northwest coast of North America from the base of the Alaska Pan- 
handle to southern Nevada. In Canada, British Columbia, west of the Coast Range. 
SUBSPECIES. Two subspecies are recognized in Canada. The type form the 
Northwest Coast Sooty Grouse (le Tetras du Nord-Ouest) Dendragopus fuliginosus fuli- 
ginosus, of most of the above range, and the Sitka Sooty Grouse (le T6tras de Sitka) 
Dendragopus fuliginosus sitkensis, slightly darker in the male and decidedly redder in the 
female, inhabiting Queen Charlotte Islands and the islands of southern Alaska. 
29S. Spruce Grouse. Canada grouse, fool hen. le tetras des sa vanes. Cana- 
chites canadens-is. L, 15. Plate XVIII A. A small grouse. The male coloured in black, 
grey, and white with small red comb but little other colour. Female irregularly barred all 
around body with the same colours, but with large admixture of rusty-brown. 
Distinctions. Size will distinguish from 
any other grouse but the very closely allied 
Franklin’s Grouse of British Columbia and 
the mountains, and the ptarmigan of the 
north and higher elevations. Easily distin- 
guished from the latter by the unfeathered 
toes (Compare with Figure 226). The male 
is distinguished from Franklin’s by the 
rusty-ochre tips to the tail feathers and the 
absence of broad white tips to uppertail- 
coverts (Figure 223, compare with 224). 
Northwestern birds, the Alaska Spruce 
Grouse, sometimes have white at the end 
of tail-coverts, but never on the tip of tail 
itself, which is a common character in Franklin’s of either sex. Females are more difficult 
to distinguish and may at times be inseparable from Franklin’s. The rusty tail tip and the 
absence of broad white tips to uppertail-coverts in this species are the best distinctions. 
Field Marks. Small size, and general black, grey, and white coloration and red comb 
of male. Female is a small, reddish brown grouse strongly banded all around body. 
Unless terminal rusty tail band is observed in flight probably not separable by sight from 
Franklin’s Grouse. 
