Sharp-tailed grouse

Scientific name: Tympanuchus phasianellus

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Males are larger with chocolate-brown and white mottled plumage, white underparts, and elongated central tail feathers that project sharply. Females are smaller, duller brown with less contrast, and shorter tail projections; both sexes show dark barring on flanks.

Size and weight

Males 430–550 g, females 340–420 g; body length 40–48 cm.

Habitat

Sharp-tailed grouse occupy prairie, grassland, and sagebrush habitats interspersed with low shrubs and scattered trees. They prefer areas with mixed grass and forb cover from sea level to ~2,400 m elevation.

Distribution

Range spans the northern Great Plains and boreal regions from central Canada south through Montana, North Dakota, and scattered populations in interior Pacific Northwest and northeastern forests.

Diet

Omnivorous year-round: insects, forbs, and seeds in spring and summer; buds, catkins, berries, and cached seeds in fall and winter.

Behaviour

Diurnal and crepuscular; gregarious in winter coveys, more solitary in breeding season; flush explosively when flushed and fly low and fast before landing abruptly.

Hunting tips

Look for tracks and droppings in open areas; birds roost on ground in slight depressions and feed in grassland at first light. Approach upwind through cover, use terrain to stalk close, and be prepared for explosive flushes; walk likely patches slowly to trigger birds. Best results working edges between dense grassland and open ground where birds feed early and late.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 2 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.