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Post by oldfulica on Sept 8, 2008 16:07:43 GMT -8
Hi Dian and I spent a few days in Manning and would like an opinion or two on these grouse. Sooty or Dusky. I find the guides confusing because they say a Sooty has wide band at the tip of the tail and a Dusky is almost all black except for the tip. The guides show a gray band, as in the picture here of a male and female. I am assuming this is an interior Sooty because of the wide gray band which shows in Nat. Geographic and Sibleys. None of the guides has a white tip to the tail. I wish I could have found a Dusky like Dick Cannings did the other day so I could have gotten comparison shots. Do you all concur that these are Sootys?
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Post by butterfly on Sept 8, 2008 19:03:48 GMT -8
Don't know anything about identifying your grouse but they are the most incredible photos. You could make a great puzzle out of the second one! Great shots!
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Post by Gord on Sept 8, 2008 22:38:01 GMT -8
Len, tough one to me.
Could that be a young male with his mom? The light band at the end of his tail is certainly pretty narrow.
Other than that, hard to say. My thoughts would be Sooty
Sibley's shows that even Dusky can have considerable banding on the tail. I am not up-to-date on the most recent findings between the species. I am aware of documented hybrids though which always makes it more fun!
I agree, seeing what Dick saw would have been very helpful!
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Post by oldfulica on Sept 9, 2008 7:29:00 GMT -8
Thanks for comments Bruce and Joanne. They were really unafraid. Gord- I am pretty sure these 2 grouse are a couple. I did see some young ones up there and it was obvious they were this years bird. Your Vulture pictures are great and so are the ones at Boundary Bay (well, most of them ). Interesting white goose. I believe I saw the same one about 2 years ago but never got a good look at it as I was in the car.
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