Illustration from National Geographic's Field Guide to the Birds of North America
Franklin's Spruce Grouse
Falcipennis canadensis franklinii
Subspecies of Spruce Grouse
September 20, 1805, along the Lolo Trail, Idaho.
A dark, chickenlike bird with a fan-shaped tail; white tips on upper tail coverts. Females browner; underparts barred with brown. Length: 15-17 in (38-43 cm).
Males give a low krrrrk, krrrk, krrk, krrk, krrk, said to be the lowest-pitched vocal sound of any North American bird. Females produce low clucking notes.
Coniferous forests, especially those with a mixture of spruce and pine, edges of deep forests and bogs.
Northern Rockies and Cascades.
This northern grouse is extraordinarily tame and can occasionally be approached and caught. Spruce grouse are generally found singly or in small family groups, quietly picking their way over the forest floor or sitting in dense conifers.
