Dusky Grouse
Dendragapus obscurus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderGalliformes (Landfowl)
- FamilyPhasianidae (Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies)
- GenusDendragapus (Blue Grouse)
- SpeciesDendragapus obscurus (Dusky Grouse)
About the Dusky Grouse
The dusky grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) is a species of forest-dwelling grouse native to the Rocky Mountains in North America. It is closely related to the sooty grouse (Dendragapus fuliginosus), and the two were previously considered a single species, the blue grouse.
Adults have a long square tail, gray at the end. Adult males are mainly dark with a purplish throat air sac surrounded by white, and a yellow to red wattle over the eye during display. Adult females are mottled brown with dark brown and white marks on the underparts.
Males are larger than females, with a male mean body mass of 1.21 kg (2.67 lbs.) compared to a mean 0.91 kg (2.01 lbs.) in females. The breeding habitat of the dusky grouse is the edges of conifer and mixed forests in mountainous regions of western North America, from southeastern Alaska and Yukon south to New Mexico. Their range is closely associated with that of various conifers. Their nest is a scrape on the ground concealed under a shrub or log.
The dusky grouse has four recognized subspecies: D. o. obscurus (Say, 1822) D. o. oreinus (Behle & Selander, 1951) D. o. pallidus (Swarth, 1931... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Dusky Grouse in Glacier National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Glacier National Park
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Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Banff National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Jasper National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Nahanni National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 11 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Kluane National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Dusky Grouse in Glacier National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Dusky Grouse sighting in Glacier National Park, based on 286 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Dusky Grouse in Glacier National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Dusky Grouse in Glacier National Park in our monthly data.