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Black-billed Capercaillie
last update: Apr 01, 2009 03:10 PM
Latin name: Tetrao parvirostris
Population: unknown
Cites classified: Least Concern
Where found: Siberian taiga
Age/ life expectancy: 10 years
Wingspan: 75-115 cm
Length: 70-95 cm
Weight: 1.5-2.2 kg
Mating/Breeding: About three days after copulation the hen starts laying eggs. Within 10 days the clutch is full, the average clutch size is 8 eggs but may amount up to 12, rarely only 4 or 5 eggs. The subsequent breeding lasts about 26-28 days according to weather and altitude. At the beginning of the breeding season the hens are very sensitive towards disturbances and leave the nest quickly. Towards the end they tolerate disturbances to a certain degree, crouch on their nest which is usually hidden under low branches of a young tree or a broken tree crown. As hatching nears hens sit tighter on the nest and will only flush from the nest if disturbed in very close proximity. Nesting hens rarely spend more than an hour a day off of the nest feeding and as such become somewhat constipated. The presence of a nest nearby is often indicated by distinctively enlarged and malformed droppings known as "clocker droppings". All eggs hatch in close proximity after which the hen and clutch abandon the nest where they are at their most vulnerable. At an age of 3-4 weeks they are able to perform their first short flights, from this time on they start to sleep in trees in warm nights. At an age of about 6 weeks they are fully able to maintain their body temperature. The down feathers have been moulted into the immature plumage and at an age of 3 months another moult brings them in their subadult plumage and now the two sexes can be easily distinguished.
Eggs: 6 or 7 spotted ochre-brown eggs
Hibernation: non-migratory
Hunting Habits: ground forager
Feed on: buds, pine needles, and berries
Predators: red fox, hawks, and martens
Colour/Body: The appearance of the male Black-billed Capercaillie is the similar to that of its western counterpart, except that it is slightly smaller, has a smaller bill, slightly longer tail, and a shorter beak. The Black-billed is also more predominantly black, and there are large white spots at the tips of the uppertail coverts and on wings. The appearance of the female is the similar to that of its western counterpart, except that it is greyer with more uniformly scaled underparts, lacks a rusty unmarked breast area, and has more noticeable white spots on wings. In the far west of its range the Black-billed Capercaillie has been known to hybridise with the Western Capercaillie
