Birdsong field guide
Sooty Grouse
Dendragapus fuliginosus
A large, dusky-colored grouse of Pacific coastal forests, best known for the male's deep, booming vocalizations and vibrant yellow-orange throat sacs.
What it sounds like
A series of 5–6 very low-pitched, resonant hoots that sound like muffled thumping and can carry for over half a mile.
Reference call, compare with what you heard
0:00 / 0:35
Field notes
- Formerly classified as the same species as the Dusky Grouse, the two were officially split in 2006.
- It performs an 'altitudinal migration,' often moving to higher elevations and denser coniferous cover during the winter months.
- During winter, its diet consists almost exclusively of conifer needles, primarily from Douglas-fir, hemlock, and fir trees.
- Males possess inflatable yellow-to-orange air sacs called apteria, which they expose during elaborate strutting displays.
- The male's low-frequency hooting is ventriloquial, making it notoriously difficult for observers to pinpoint the bird's location in the canopy.
Habitat
Moist coniferous and mixed forests, ranging from sea-level rainforests to subalpine parklands.
Range
Pacific coast of North America, from Southeast Alaska south to the Sierra Nevada in California.
Similar & commonly confused birds
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