The Spruce Grouse (Falcipennis canadensis) is a stocky, medium-sized bird (13 inches), similar to a chicken. The male bird is overall grownish gray streaked with black and white, with a black throat and white border, black breast barred with white and a red comb above the eye. The female is reddish brown with black and white barring. The Blue Grouse is similar but lacks the barring on the underparts. The tip of the tail is another way to distinguish the two birds. Tail tips are brown in the Spruce and gray in the Blue.
This bird is a permanent resident throughout its range. It inhabits woodlands in Alaska and Canada.
In May the female lays 5 to 10 eggs in a shallow nest that she lines with plant matter, leaves and some feathers. The nest is generally placed at the base of a tree or under a log. The incubation period is from 17 to 24 days. It takes the young 10 days to fledge. There is one brood produced each year. The female attends the young.
These birds feed on green leaves, flowers and berries. During the winter Spruce Grouse feed on spruce needles.
Order: Galliformes | Family: Phasianidae | Species: Falcipennis canadensis
