The capercaillie
Tetrao urogallus
Apart from any other characteristic, it is the Capercaillie’s, or wood grouse’s, bulk that makes it unmistakable. It can reach a total length of almost one metre and a wingspan of 1.3m. The difference between males and females - cocks and hens - is also very evident. The cock is very flamboyant; adults have dark, slate-grey body feathers, the breast feathers are blue or dark green metallic shining, whereas the wide tail has dark steering feathers with lighter spots. When the bird is resting, a white spot on the corner of the wing can be seen. The beak is large and ivory-coloured; there is a bright red spot of naked skin above each eye. The hen’s reddish-brown colouring, with a chestnut-red breast and dark beak, serves as camouflage. Capercaillies live in large woodlands, particularly in mature, humid and cool conifer forests, interspersed with clearings and dense undergrowth. Despite its large size, it is very good at hiding and, when forced, will take off noisily. During the winter, it mostly eats conifer needles, whereas in the spring it will feed on young leaves, larch cones and shoots, as well as on the shoots of beech, hazel and birch. From the rich food supply in the summer and autumn, it chooses rhododendron leaves, the green twigs of bilberries, berries and fruit.
