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Western Capercaillie

File:David_Palmer_Capercaillie.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Western Capercaillie

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Also known as Capercaillie, wood grouse, heather cock, Capercailzie, Eurasian capercaillie

species of bird

AI overview

The Western Capercaillie is a large wild bird found in forests across Europe and Asia. It matters because its population has declined significantly in some regions, making it an important indicator of forest health and a conservation concern for wildlife protection efforts.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Species

Western Capercaillie

species

Observations4,368

via

Wikidata facts

Instance of
taxon
Parent taxon
Tetrao
Mass
53
Image
Tetrao urogallus, Glenfeshie, Scotland 1.jpg
Show 12 more facts
taxon rank
species
IUCN conservation status
Least Concern
Commons category
Tetrao urogallus
taxon name
Tetrao urogallus
Commons gallery
Tetrao urogallus
taxon common name
gallu de monte
wingspan
106
litter size
7.3
egg incubation period
25
diel cycle
diurnality
short name
T. urogallus
has characteristic
oviparity
Sources (11)

via Wikidata · CC0

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Encyclopedic overview

The western capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), also known as the Eurasian capercaillie, wood grouse, heather cock, cock-of-the-woods, or simply capercaillie /ˌkæpərˈkeɪl(j)i/, is a heavy member of the grouse tribe and the largest of all extant grouse species. Found across Europe and the Palearctic, this primarily-ground-dwelling forest grouse is renowned for its courtship display. The bird shows extreme sexual dimorphism, with males nearly twice the size of females. The global population is listed as "least concern" under the IUCN, although the populations of central Europe are declining and fragmented, or possibly extirpated.

The western capercaillie is one of two living species under the genus Tetrao, which also includes the lesser-known black-billed capercaillie.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Western Capercaillie” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (13)