Habitat

Sitka spruce and hemlock forests (ADF&G 2005b). Prefer young successional stands, such as those created postfire, characterized by dense stands with a well developed middle story (Boag and Schroeder 1987, Schroeder and Boag 1991). A study in B. C., found that spruce grouse used areas on knolls with greater canopy cover and more short trees. Use increased with proximity to wetlands until 20m from the wetlands. Occurrences declined in proportion to percent timber removed and more pronounced declines in use were observed for uniform timber cuts. The study recommended retention of areas with a buffer of at least 10 m from harvested and natural edges (Huggard 2003). In B.C, found from 300 to 2,500 m in elevation (Campbell et al. 1990) and in the Yukon, preferred habitat is spruce forests (Alexander et al. 2003)

References

ADF&G. 2005b. The Grouse and Ptarmigan of Alaska: A guide to their identification, habits and habitat.

Alexander, S. A., F. I. Doyle, C. D. Ecker, H. Grünberg, N. L. Hughes, M. Jensen, I. Johnson, D. H. Mossop, W. A. Nixon, and P. H. Sinclair. 2003. Birds of the Yukon Territory (P. H. Sinclair, W. A. Nixon, C. D. Eckert, and N. L. Hughes, eds.). UBC Press, Vancouver, B.C.

Boag, D. A. and M. A. Schroeder. 1987. Population fluctuations in Spruce Grouse: what determines their number in spring? Canadian Journal of Zoology 62: 1034-1037.

Campbell, R. W., N. K. Dawe, I. McTaggart-Cowan, J. M. Cooper, G. W. Kaiser, and M. C. E. McNall. 1990. The Birds of British Columbia. Vol. 1 and 2, Nonpasserines. UBC Press, Vancouver, B.C.

Huggard, D. J. 2003. Use of habitat features, edges and harvest treatments by spruce grouse in subalpine forest. Forest Ecol. and Manage. 175 (2003) 531-544.