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Forums10
Topics38,614
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Most Online1,344 Apr 29th, 2024
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 666 Likes: 45
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 666 Likes: 45 |
Can anyone enlighten me as to whether this is a male ruffed grouse or a female spruce grouse? Spotted in northern vermont yesterday. Apologies for resolution. [img:left] http://imgur.com/a/hgOlk5a[/img]
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Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 92
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 92 |
Dan S. W.,
In reality the picture is to distorted to make a decent identification.
RGD/Dave L.C. Smith Man
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Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,124 Likes: 19
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,124 Likes: 19 |
Hen spruce grouse, dont shoot it! The molting on the neck runs down through the breast, and the tail feathers are short and stubby, not only to mention no tuffed on the head. If you can get a clean look you will see a red ring around the eye. In the field you literally can walk up to one and grab it! Hope that helps.
Last edited by RARiddell; 08/13/18 02:37 PM.
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 666 Likes: 45
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 666 Likes: 45 |
No worries RAR, aware of the protected status and I was unarmed. The way they behave, I probably could have picked it up.
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Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 92
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 92 |
Dan S.W.,
RARiddell is probably correct however with the distorted picture it's really hard to actually tell what we are looking at. A very young female Ruffed Grouse would look similar.
RGD/Dave L.C. Smith Man
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 666 Likes: 45
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 666 Likes: 45 |
The other factor was it was in a heavily posted spruce grouse area (near a moose bog) and behaved as apparently spruce grouse do when approached by a human, which is essentially to do nothing but pose while I stood five feet away taking about a dozen slightly grainy pics because my phone camera was excessively zoomed.
I would say it is pretty much definitely a spruce hen.
Last edited by Dan S. W.; 08/13/18 10:08 PM.
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 2,988 Likes: 108
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 2,988 Likes: 108 |
The resolution of the photo is poor, but I’d bet spruce too.
Socialism is almost the worst.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,705 Likes: 103
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 7,705 Likes: 103 |
I learned something from this thread. I thought Spruce Grouse were strictly a western bird...Geo
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,601 Likes: 14
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,601 Likes: 14 |
Spruce grouse IMO. Too darkly mottled for a female ruffed grouse.
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 666 Likes: 45
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 666 Likes: 45 |
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