The western capercaillie is the largest bird of the grouse family. The bird is also known as the wood grouse, heather cock or just capercaillie. It is a non-migratory sedentary bird found across northern parts of Europe and western and central Asia. They are usually found in coniferous forests.
The males of the species have distinct physical features. A male bird typically ranges from 74 to 85 centimetres in length with a wingspan of 90 to 125 centimetres. They have an average weight of about 4.1 kilograms. They have a range of colours on the plumage such as black, brown, green and grey. On the other hand, the female is much smaller, almost half the weight of a male.
The western capercaillie is common and falls in the category of ‘least concern’.
Picture Credit : Google