CO winter 2023 and effect on grouse?

[Bullshot]

Would a bad winter have a correspondingly bad winter on forest grouse? They make a living up pretty high on the mountain, eating buds and such, so does the extra snow matter? I’d think if the population is OK through a bad winter, the moisture during the growing season would only serve to benefit them? Any grouse experts to chime in?

 

[Triggw]

I'm wondering how all the snow might affect breeding. They should be moving down to lower elevations soon to get the job done, but there still so much snow, I wonder if that will be delayed or less successful.

 

[Desk Pop]

I'm no expert.

But I know Blue grouse live in conifer trees most of the winter, and are one of the few animals on Earth that gain elevator for wintering. I imagine they are fine with a harsh winter. Ruffed grouse maybe have a tougher time...not sure.

I know that hatches of ground covey birds like turkeys, grouse, chukar, etc need enough dry days to survive in the first couple weeks. This is really important. They can survive a day or two of rain with mom before they feather, but when there is like a week straight of rain right after they hatch, very few can survive.

My two cents.

 

[SoCalhunt88]

Was in the sierras and I think our grouse did ok, I saw a bunch of conifer droppings I assumed was wintering birds at around 9k

 

[DrH]

Blue grouse go uphill to spend the winter where there are fewer predators and in southeastern Wyoming they spend the winter eating buds of aspen and needles of pine, fir, and Douglas-fir. When I studied them eons ago they achieved their highest weights of the year just before spring breeding season after eating the outer two-thirds of needles all winter. They are amply insulated, so the weather doesn't have much effect on them. As with other game birds, the major impact on numbers from year to year is what happens during nesting, hatching and raising young. Rain and cold temperatures during hatching can prevent birds fresh out of an egg from drying off and beginning to regulate their body temperature. Sparse nesting cover allows nest predators like skunks, raccoons, ground and tree squirrels, and jays and crows to eat the eggs, and dry conditions mean there is likely to be a lack of insects which chicks need get protein needed for quick growth. Grouse need to be able to get into trees to avoid ground predators by 10-14 days old, and a lot of that growth is fueled by insect protein. In years with lots of grasshoppers I've killed young grouse with crops full of grasshoppers in early October.
There should be lots of plant and insect protein in brood habitats this year, and the trees providing winter food will be in good shape due to the winter and summer moisture. Grouse numbers increased last year in southeastern Wyoming, and there should be a good carryover population of grouse. Now, if there was a good hatch......

 

[SoCalhunt88]

Blue grouse go uphill to spend the winter where there are fewer predators and in southeastern Wyoming they spend the winter eating buds of aspen and needles of pine, fir, and Douglas-fir. When I studied them eons ago they achieved their highest weights of the year just before spring breeding season after eating the outer two-thirds of needles all winter. They are amply insulated, so the weather doesn't have much effect on them. As with other game birds, the major impact on numbers from year to year is what happens during nesting, hatching and raising young. Rain and cold temperatures during hatching can prevent birds fresh out of an egg from drying off and beginning to regulate their body temperature. Sparse nesting cover allows nest predators like skunks, raccoons, ground and tree squirrels, and jays and crows to eat the eggs, and dry conditions mean there is likely to be a lack of insects which chicks need get protein needed for quick growth. Grouse need to be able to get into trees to avoid ground predators by 10-14 days old, and a lot of that growth is fueled by insect protein. In years with lots of grasshoppers I've killed young grouse with crops full of grasshoppers in early October.
There should be lots of plant and insect protein in brood habitats this year, and the trees providing winter food will be in good shape due to the winter and summer moisture. Grouse numbers increased last year in southeastern Wyoming, and there should be a good carryover population of grouse. Now, if there was a good hatch......

Any chance this is their scat, found it around 9k in the sierras? My best guess was wintering grouse scat

 

[DrH]

Yes, and coarse because they were eating needles.

 

[SoCalhunt88]

Figured, thank you.

Yes, and coarse because they were eating needles.