The Sooty Grouse, Formerly the Blue Grouse

One of the strangest calls I had ever heard echoing through the mountain forests sounded like someone blowing across the opening of an enormous glass jug, only much deeper and louder. The mysterious note seemed to bounce off rocky outcroppings and weave between the trees like a chilling, almost ghostly breath that raised the hairs on my skin. I had always assumed the sound came from an elk, especially since spring seemed like the obvious season for animals preparing for courtship and mating.

Hearing the Mysterious Call on Mount Rainier

A few days ago, however, I heard that same strange sound near the snow line on Mount Rainier. There were two things that immediately made me question my earlier assumption. First, it was already the middle of July. Second, the sound came only moments after an unusual bird, roughly the size of an owl, flew over my head and landed close to another bird I was attempting to photograph.

The second bird looked somewhat like a chicken, and at first I assumed it was a blue grouse. For those who are new to my wildlife photography, I am now entering my second year of photographing Washington’s wildlife, so I am still learning many of the species and behaviors found in the region.

The mysterious call sounded something like a deep, resonant “Whuuuhhhhhhhh!” repeated several times, echoing through the mountain landscape.

A Remarkable-Looking Bird

The bird turned out to be one of the strangest-looking birds I had encountered in quite some time. Fortunately, I recognized it almost immediately from one of my field guides.

The reason I knew what it was came from a very brief encounter the previous week in the Olympic Mountains. I had caught only a quick glimpse of one there and never managed to get a clear photograph before the bird disappeared over the mountainside.

A Male Sooty Grouse Focused on a Female

The male grouse I encountered on Mount Rainier was completely absorbed by the female I had been following. He was so focused on her that he seemed entirely unaware of my presence.

This was actually the second female grouse I had photographed within about half an hour. Rather than continuing to concentrate on the females, I decided to turn my attention toward the male.

He was an impressive sight, displaying his plumage and courtship behavior with an unmistakable air of confidence. If I had to choose a less formal word for his attitude, “cockiness” would probably describe it best.

To my delight, I was able to photograph him repeatedly without disturbing either bird. I could remain relatively close while capturing a series of images, and neither the male nor the female appeared bothered by my presence.

Learning More About the Sooty Grouse

After returning to my desk, I spent some time researching the bird so that I could understand not only its identity but also its role within the surrounding ecosystem.

Many of the references I initially consulted still identified the bird as a blue grouse, Dendragapus obscurus. However, some examples I found online and in my field guides appeared somewhat different from the bird I had photographed, while others looked almost identical.

Fortunately, Audubon’s digital field guides are regularly updated, which helped clear up the confusion.

The Blue Grouse Was Split Into Two Species

I learned that what was once commonly called the blue grouse was reclassified into two separate species in 2006. The division was based on both DNA evidence and behavioral differences.

The sooty grouse, Dendragapus fuliginosus, occupies the Pacific Northwest coastal region, with its range extending from California northward to the Yukon.

The dusky grouse, which retains the scientific name Dendragapus obscurus, is more strongly associated with the interior regions of North America, particularly the Rocky Mountains.

Even before learning about this taxonomic split, I could understand why identifying the bird had initially been confusing. Differences in plumage and in the coloration of the bare skin around the eye comb and neck made the distinction less obvious to me.

Seeing the bird in person and then comparing it with updated field-guide information finally helped me understand that I had encountered a Sooty Grouse rather than the blue grouse I had originally assumed.