Spruce Grouse
Canachites canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758)
38–43 cmLength474 gWeight
The spruce grouse (Canachites canadensis), also known as Canada grouse, spruce hen or fool hen, is a medium-sized grouse closely associated with the coniferous boreal forests or taiga of North America.
Busiest months: June and September · Most records: Canada, United States
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: June and September · Most records: Canada, United States
Spruce Grouse has been recorded at 19 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Whitefish PointUnited States212 records
- ChurchillCanada147 records
- Teslin Lake – Teslin Lake Bird ObservatoryCanada53 records
More places
- Algonquin Provincial Park – Visitor CentreCanada49 records
- Dunes de TadoussacCanada29 records
- Algonquin Provincial Park – Old AirfieldCanada16 records
- Les EscouminsCanada16 records
- Sept-ÎlesCanada14 records
- TadoussacCanada14 records
- Domaine de MaizeretsCanada9 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The spruce grouse (Canachites canadensis), also known as Canada grouse, spruce hen or fool hen, is a medium-sized grouse closely associated with the coniferous boreal forests or taiga of North America. It is the only member of the genus Canachites.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Spruce Grouse?
The Spruce Grouse is about 38–43 cm long and weighs around 474 g.
Where does the Spruce Grouse live?
Its breeding range: North America: Alaska, Canada and northern USA. It is most often recorded in Canada and United States.
When is the best time to see the Spruce Grouse?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in June and September (Northern Hemisphere).
What does the Spruce Grouse eat?
Main food: Land plants.
What family is the Spruce Grouse in?
It belongs to the family Pheasants & Allies (Phasianidae), order Galliformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 38–43 cm
- Weight
- 474 g
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Land plants
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
More measurements
- Wing
- 180 mm
- Tail
- 111 mm
- Bill
- 22 mm
- Tarsus
- 36 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
North America: Alaska, Canada and northern USA
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Galliformes
- Family
- Pheasants & Allies Phasianidae
- Genus
- Canachites
More from the family Pheasants & Allies
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Hill PartridgeArborophila torqueola
Sichuan PartridgeArborophila rufipectus
Chestnut-breasted PartridgeArborophila mandellii
White-necklaced PartridgeArborophila gingica
Rufous-throated PartridgeArborophila rufogularis
Red-billed PartridgeArborophila rubrirostris
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Blair Dudeck. ↗
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