DUSKY GROUSE
297. Dendragapus obscurus. 20 in.
Plumage gray, white and black, with a few rusty markings on the back; wide gray band on tip of tail. Female smaller, browner and more barred above. These large grouse are found on side hills or in gulches, usually not far from water. Like our common [Ruffed Grouse], during mating season, the males of this species strut about with tail fully spread over the back, and head thrown back until it nearly touches the tail. At this season they are very pugnacious and the woods will resound with their challenging “toots,”—loud and hollow sounds with a ventriloquial effect.
Nest.—Eggs laid on ground in woods, usually under fallen logs or at the bases of trees; buffy, sparsely spotted with brown (2.00 × 1.40); May, June.
Range.—Rocky Mts., from Mexico to Montana and east to South Dakota. 297b., Richardson Grouse (D. o. richardsonii), is found on the eastern slopes of the Rockies, north to British America. Little or no band on the tail.
