2023 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Conference
March 5-7, 2023 • Cincinnati, OH
9/28/2018 | 10:55 AM - 11:10 AM | Variation in the Display Behavior of Male Spruce Grouse | Eccles Conference Center Auditorium
Variation in the Display Behavior of Male Spruce Grouse
The taxonomy of spruce grouse (Falcipennis canadensis) has historically been controversial, particularly for populations in western North America. There has been uncertainty in the number of subspecies, species, and even the appropriate genus. One thing that is relatively certain is that spruce grouse males perform two distinct territorial displays. Males in NE Oregon, Washington, N Idaho, NW Montana, SW Alberta, and S British Columbia perform a combination flutter flight and wing-clap display; the males clap their wings together twice behind their backs in mid-flight during the wing-clap display. Birds in these areas are considered Franklin’s spruce grouse. Males throughout the rest of the range (the vast majority) only perform a flutter flight display with no auditory wing-clap. These birds have traditionally been considered Canada spruce grouse. During at least 20 springs between 1981 and 2015 we have been able to obtain observations of displaying male spruce grouse at numerous locations in Oregon, Washington, Alberta, British Columbia, Alaska, and Yukon. These observations confirmed that spruce grouse males have two general types of spring display; flutter flight with wing-clapping vs. flutter flight only. These observations also illustrated regional variation in display that does not necessarily correspond to morphological and/or taxonomic variation. For example, there is a broad area of central British Columbia where spruce grouse males outwardly appear to be Franklin’s spruce grouse, but their display is more like a Canada spruce grouse.
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Presenters/Authors
Michael Schroeder
(), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Michael.schroeder@dfw.wa.gov;
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George Barrowclough
(), American Museum of Natural History, gfb@amnh.org;
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Jonas Lai
(), American Museum of Natural History, JLai@amnh.org;
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