Northern Black Grouse

Tetrao tetrix viridanus (Lorenz, 1891)

2010-10-27 Naurzum State Reserve, Kostanai oblast	© Aleksey Timoshenko

Description

White wing-bar is wide. White colour developed on inner primaries. Metal gloss has greenish-bluish tinge, in populations eastward from Irtysh river valley gloss is mainly bluish – dark blue tinge. Tertials and greater coverts in definitive plumage have faintly spotted pattern. General colour of female is lighter, more buffy and greyish, less rusty than mongolicus. Dark morph with prevalence of brown tones rarely occurs. Male wing length 250-282 (268), female 225-250 (239) mm.

Distribution

Breeds in northern plains of Kazakhstan from Ural river valley up to foothills of Altai and in Kalbinskiy Altai. The southern border distribution known badly. Observed in Kyzyltau Mts. near Zhaman-Dalba, in Kazakh Upland nests south up to Ulytau and Zheltau. Between Altai, Tarbagatay ridge and Chingiztau intergrades with mongolicus.

References

Gavrilov E. I., Gavrilov A. E. "The Birds of Kazakhstan". Almaty, 2005. Э.И.Гаврилов. "Фауна и распространение птиц Казахстана". Алматы, 1999. В.К.Рябицев. "Птицы Урала, Приуралья и Западной Сибири". Екатеринбург. Изд-во Уральского университета, 2000.