The Bird Book Part 37

Range.--Higher ranges of the Rocky Mountains, from New Mexico north to Alaska.

Ptarmigan are remarkable birds in that they are in an almost continual state of molting, nearly every month in the year showing them in different stages of plumage, ranging from the snow-white winter dress to the summer one in which reddish-brown prevails on Willow Ptarmigan and a black and gray barred effect predominates on the other species. Notice that they are feathered to the toes, in winter the feathers on the toes growing dense and hair-like, not only protecting the toes from the cold but making excellent snowshoes which enable them to walk with impunity over the lightest snow.

Ptarmigan form the staple article of diet for northern foxes, and were it not for the fact that their plumage changes to correspond to the appearance of the ground at the various seasons they would fare hardly indeed.

In spring the little red combs above the eyes of the males are swollen and conspicuous. At this season they strut and perform curious antics, such as all Grouse are noted for.

This species differs from any of the preceding in having at all seasons of the year, a white tail; it is also somewhat smaller than the Rock Ptarmigan. They nest abundantly near the summits of the ranges in Colorado, making their nests among the rocks, and generally lining them with a few gra.s.ses. During June, they lay from six to twelve eggs having a creamy background, speckled and blotched with chestnut brown. Size 1.70 x 1.15.

304a. KENAI WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN. _Lagopus leucurus peninsularis._

Range.--Kenai Peninsular, Alaska. A similar but paler (in summer) variety of the preceding. The nesting habits or eggs will not differ.

305. PRAIRIE CHICKEN. _Tympanuchus america.n.u.s america.n.u.s._

Range.--The prairies, chiefly west of the Mississippi; north to Manitoba, east to Ohio, and west to Colorado.

This familiar game bird of the west is about 18 inches in length, brownish above and grayish below, with bars of brownish black both above and below. In the place of the ruffs of the Ruffled Grouse, are long tufts of rounded or square ended feathers, and beneath these a peculiar sac, bright orange in the

[Ill.u.s.tration 187: Olive Buff.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

Pag 186

breeding season, and capable of being inflated to the size of a small orange; this is done when the bird makes its familiar "booming" noise.

They are very good "table birds" and although they are still very abundant in most of their range, so many are being killed for market, that it has become necessary to make more stringent laws relating to the killing and sale of Pinnated Grouse, as they are often called. They nest anywhere on the prairie, in hollows on the ground under overhanging bushes or tufts of gra.s.s. They lay from eight to fifteen eggs having a buffy or olive buff ground color, sparingly and finely sprinkled with brown; size 1.70 1.25.

305a. ATt.w.a.tER PRAIRIE CHICKEN. _Tympanuchus america.n.u.s att.w.a.teri._

Range.--Coast region of Louisiana and Texas.

This is a slightly smaller and darker variety of the Pinnated Grouse.

Its eggs cannot be distinguished from those of the more northerly distributed bird.

306. HEATH HEN. _Tympanuchus cupido._

Range.--Island of Martha's Vineyard, Ma.s.s.

This species is similar to the preceding, but has the scapulars more broadly tipped with buff, the axillars barred, and the pinnated feathers on the neck pointed. It is slightly smaller than the western species. It is found on the wooded portions of the island, where its breeding habits are the same as those of the Ruffed Grouse. Mr. Brewster probably has the only authentic set of the eggs of this species. They are of a yellowish green color and are unspotted. Size 1.70 1.25. A number of Prairie Hens liberated on the island several years ago are apparently thriving well, and nests found there now would be fully as apt to belong to this species.

[Ill.u.s.tration 188:(baby birds)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Prairie Chicken. Heath Hen.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: deco.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: left hand margin.]

Page 187

307. LESSER PRAIRIE CHICKEN. _Tympanuchus pallidicinctus._

Range.--Prairies from southwestern Kansas through Indian Territory to western Texas.

A smaller and paler species than the Prairie Chicken. Never as abundant as the common Pinnated Grouse, this species appears to be becoming scarcer each year. Its nests are concealed under overhanging brush or placed under a large tuft of prairie gra.s.s, and are generally lined with a few gra.s.ses or leaves. They lay from eight to twelve eggs of a buffy color, much lighter than those of the Prairie Chicken, and unmarked.

Size 1.65 1.25.

308. SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. _Pedioecetes phasianellus phasianellus._

Range.--Interior of British America, from the United States boundary northwest to the Yukon.

Sharp-tailed Grouse are similar in form to the Prairie Chicken, but are somewhat smaller and very much lighter in color, being nearly white below, with arrowhead markings on the breast and flanks. This species is very abundant in Manitoba and especially so on the plains west of Hudson Bay. Their nests are generally concealed under a thicket or a large tuft of gra.s.s, and are lined with gra.s.ses and feathers. They lay from six to fifteen eggs of a drab color, very minutely specked all over with brown.

Size 1.70 1.25.

308a. COLUMBIAN SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. _Pedioecetes phasianellus columbia.n.u.s._

Range.--Northwestern United States and British Columbia to central Alaska. Both the nesting habits and eggs of this variety are the same as the last, with which species, the birds gradually intergrade as their ranges approach.

308b. PRAIRIE SHARP-TAILED GROUSE. _Pedioecetes phasianellus campestris._

Range.--Plains of the United States from the Mississippi to the Rockies.

This sub-species shades directly into the two preceding where their ranges meet, and only birds from the extreme parts of the range of each show any marked differences. The nesting habits and eggs of all three are not to be distinguished.

[Ill.u.s.tration 189: Pale buff.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Buffy drab.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Prairie Sharp-tailed Grouse.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: right hand margin.]

Page 188

309. SAGE HEN. _Centrocercus urophasia.n.u.s._

Range.--Sage plains of the Rocky Mountain region from British Columbia to New Mexico, and from California to Dakota. This handsome bird is the largest of the American Grouse, being about 30 inches long (the hen bird is about six inches shorter). It may easily be recognized by its large size, its peculiar graduated tail with extremely sharp pointed feathers, and the black belly and throat. Their nests are hollows scratched out in the sand, under the sage bushes, generally with no lining. The nesting season is during April and May, they laying from six to twelve eggs of a greenish drab color, spotted with brown. Size 2.15 1.50.

PHEASANTS. Family PHASIANIDae

* * * RING-NECKED PHEASANT. _Phasia.n.u.s torquatus._

Several species of Pheasants have been introduced into the United States, among them being the Ring-necked, English, and Green Pheasants.

The Ring-necked species seems to be the only one that has obtained a really strong foothold, it being now very abundant in Oregon and Was.h.i.+ngton, and adjacent states, and also found in abundance on many game preserves in the east. The males of any of the species may at once be distinguished from any of our birds by the long tail. Their nests are hollows in the leaves under tufts of gra.s.s or bushes. They lay from eight to fourteen eggs of a buff or greenish buff color, unmarked; size 1.50 1.30.

[Ill.u.s.tration 190: Sage Hen.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Pale greenish drab.]