Siberian Grouse
Falcipennis falcipennis
Chunky medium-sized gamebird of far eastern Russia. Both sexes are dark brown with white-spotted underparts. Male is heftier and thicker-necked, with a black throat bordered by white. Also note bright red patch of skin above each eye. Female is patchy brown with a more peaked head. Inhabits well-shaded coniferous and mixed forests, where it forages on the ground and in trees. Male gives odd clicks and claps during display.
Identification
Adults measure around 38–43 centimetres (15–17 in). Males weigh at 580–735 grams (1.279–1.620 lb), while females weigh 650–740 grams (1.43–1.63 lb). Both sexes are intricately speckled white on the belly, flanks, and undertail coverts with white streaks on the wing coverts and rump, plus a white terminal band at the tail tip. Males have sooty brownish-grey feathers with a ruff around its neck and a black bib outlined in white with red skin above each eye. Females are more pale brown in color and lack the distinct facial markings of the male.
Taxonomy
Genus: Falcipennis; Family: Phasianidae; Order: Galliformes.
- Scientific name
- Falcipennis falcipennis
- Authority
- (Hartlaub, 1855)
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Phasianidae
- Genus
- Falcipennis
Range and habitat
The Siberian grouse is distributed across eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East in the federal districts of Primorsky Krai, Khabarovsk Krai, Amur Oblast, and Sakhalin. A small population formerly inhabited the far northeast of China, where they are probably now extinct. They prefer moist, shady coniferous forests (especially in the winter) with a dense understory of moss and berry bushes, including stands of Ezo spruce, Korean pine, Khingan fir, and Dahurian larch, as well as mixed forest communities interspersed with open glades. Grouse may switch to cranberry and other berries and leaves of Vaccinium, Empetrum, Rubus and other shrubs in their diet during the summer and fall months. They gather in small flocks numbering up to 10–11 birds in the autumn, especially when made up of females and subadult males. In winter, they roost in snow burrows, though they also sleep high in trees during milder weather.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Range-restricted weaver with a powerful dark bill. Male is predominantly yellow with a dark cheek patch. Female is streaky brown above and paler below; lacks the strong streaking and facial patterns of Streaked and Black-breasted Weavers. Female Finn’s is similar to female Baya Weaver, but note the darker coloration, lack of a pale brow stripe, and heavier, sharper-looking bill in female Finn’s. Inhabits open areas with scattered trees; favors wet areas. Colonial nester; males build ball-shaped nests, often in cotton trees.
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A critically endangered Galápagos finch found only on the island of Floreana. Bill is moderately curved on both upper and lower edges, and slightly longer than it is deep. Male has a black hood, brownish-olive upperparts, and a pale belly. Female is tan with whitish underparts. Both sexes have faint streaking on the breast. Bill is black on breeding male and orange on female and non-breeding male. Large Tree-Finch has larger and more bulbous bill. Small Tree-Finch has slightly smaller bill and body. Identification is much easier when more than one species is present to allow direct comparison. Medium Tree-Finch inhabits forest mainly in the highlands but is occasionally seen closer to the coast, where it may be only a seasonal visitor.
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