Tetrao urogalloides
The Black-billed Capercaillie (Tetrao urogalloides), also known as the Siberian Capercaillie, is a magnificent and robust grouse species native to the taiga forests of Eurasia. Males are strikingly large, measuring 80-90 cm (31-35 inches) in length and weighing 3.5-6.5 kg (7.7-14.3 lbs), boasting iridescent dark plumage, a metallic greenish sheen on the breast, and prominent scarlet red supraorbital combs above their eyes, contrasting sharply with their distinctive black bill. Their lyre-shap...
Primarily inhabits extensive coniferous forests (larch, pine, spruce, fir) and mixed taiga woodlands, often preferring areas with dense undergrowth and openings for lekking sites. Typically found at low to moderate elevations across its range.
Primarily herbivorous, consisting largely of conifer needles (larch, pine, spruce) during winter months. In warmer seasons, their diet expands to include shoots, buds, leaves, berries, seeds, and various insects, especially for growing chicks.
Black-billed Capercaillies are diurnal, most active during early morning and late afternoon, often roosting high in trees at night for safety. They forage on the ground, browsing on vegetation, and in trees, plucking buds and needles. During the breeding season (March-May), males exhibit highly t...
The Black-billed Capercaillie is a resident species distributed across the vast taiga and boreal forests of the Palearctic realm. Its primary breeding and year-round range extends throughout much of Siberia, from the Ural Mountains eastward across Russia to the Russian Far East. It also occurs in...
Least Concern
- The Black-billed Capercaillie is the largest grouse species found in Asia, a true giant of the boreal forests. - Its scientific name, *Tetrao urogalloides*, literally means 'capercaillie-like grouse', highlighting its close relationship to the Western Capercaillie. - Males possess specialized d...