The Blue Grouse, Dendragapus obscurus, is a large grouse. It is the only member of the genus Dendragapus (Elliot, 1864).
Adults have a long square tail, grey at the end. Adult males are mainly dark with a yellow or purplish throat sac surrounded by white and a yellow patch over the eye. Adult females are mottled brown with dark brown and white marks on the underparts.
Their breeding habitat is the edges of conifer and mixed forests in mountainous regions of western North America, from Alaska to California. Their range is closely associated with that of Ponderosa pines and Douglas-firs. The nest is a scrape on the ground concealed under a shrub or log.
They are permanent residents but move short distances by foot and short flights to denser forest areas in winter, usually moving to higher altitudes.
These birds forage on the ground or in trees in winter. They mainly eat pine needles, but also green plants, berries, and insects in summer.
Males sing with deep hoots on their territory and make short flapping flights to attract females. Females leave the male's territory after mating.
Bluegrouse (Dendragapus obscurus), or “hooters,” are restricted in Alaska to the southeastern part of the state.
In Interior and Southcentral Alaska, the brown-tipped tail distinguishes the spruce grouse from the ruffed and sharp-tailed grouse.
One of the more rewarding and sporting means of hunting bluegrouse is to stalk “hooting” males in April and May. Spruce grouse hunters generally try to be out on the clear frosty mornings of September and October, when birds are seeking grit at locations where bare soil or gravel is exposed.
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