Blue Grouse

This monograph is about blue grouse (Dendragapus obscurus). Designed as a reference work, it documents and reviews much of what is known about the biology and natural history of this bird. It is based primarily on our published and unpublished long-term studies in British Columbia and elsewhere, and on the studies of others in various parts of the bird's range. Part 1 is principally introductory, describing some of our approaches and introducing the principal studies and study areas on which the book is based. Part 2 provides background to the bird, e.g., its taxonomy, evolution, and the environment in which it lives. Physical attributes, e.g., its morphology, reproduction, and food habits are examined in Part 3. Part 4 is devoted to individual and collective behaviours, a field of study that we feel has important implications to populations. Lastly, Part 5 documents the principal population parameters of this grouse and identifies some of what is known about its predators and diseases, agents potentially important to prey populations.