Facts about Capercaillie
The Capercaillie is also known as the Wood Grouse and Western Capercaillie. It is the largest member of the grouse family. It is renowned for its mating display. This bird is found across northern Europe and Asia It was first described by 'Linnaeus' in 1758. The name of this bird is derived from the Gaelic capull coille, meaning "horse of the woods". They mainly feed on Vaccinium species, especially blueberry. The capercaillie find cover in young tree growth. The male capercaillie is much bigger, weighing 3.3 to 6.5 kg (7.3-14.3 lbs). He can range from 74 to 115 cm (29 to 45 in) in length and has a wingspan of about 1.2 m (3.9 ft). The female capercaillie is much smaller, weighing about half as much as the cock. Her body from beak to tail is approximately 54-64 cm (21-25 in) long, the wingspan is 70 cm (28 in) and she weighs 1.5-2.5 kg (3.3-5.5 lbs). Its closest relative is the Black-billed Capercaillie, which breeds in the larch taiga forests of eastern Russia and parts of northern Mongolia and China. Their average clutch size is 8 eggs but they can lay as much as 12 eggs in a single clutch and rarely they will lay only 4 to 5 eggs. |
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