Animalia > Chordata > Aves > Galliformes > Phasianidae > Tetrao > Tetrao urogallusTetrao urogallus (Western Capercaillie)The western capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), also known as the wood grouse, heather cock, or just capercaillie /ˌkæpərˈkeɪli/, is the largest member of the grouse family. The largest known specimen, recorded in captivity, had a weight of 7.2 kg (16 lb). The species shows extreme sexual dimorphism, with the male twice the size of the female. Found across Eurasia, this spectacular ground-living forest bird is renowned for its mating display. The worldwide population is categorised as "Least concern" by the IUCN. |
Uniqueness Scale: Similiar (0) Unique (100) Uniqueness & Vulnerability Scale: Similiar & Secure (0) Unique & Vulnerable (100) ED Score: 4.34776 EDGE Score: 1.67668 |
Adult Weight [1] | 6.689 lbs (3.034 kg) | Birth Weight [2] | 53 grams | Female Weight [5] | 4.343 lbs (1.97 kg) | Male Weight [5] | 8.378 lbs (3.80 kg) | Weight Dimorphism [5] | 92.9 % | ![](/img/transp.gif) | Diet [3] | Frugivore, Herbivore | Diet - Fruit [3] | 10 % | Diet - Plants [3] | 90 % | Forages - Ground [3] | 100 % | ![](/img/transp.gif) | Clutch Size [7] | 7 | Clutches / Year [8] | 1 | Fledging [1] | 70 days | Incubation [6] | 25 days | Mating Display [2] | Ground display (mostly) | Mating System [2] | Promiscuity | Maximum Longevity [4] | 18 years | Snout to Vent Length [8] | 24 inches (62 cm) | Wing Span [6] | 3.477 feet (1.06 m) | ![](/img/transp.gif) | Female Maturity [4] | 3 years | Male Maturity [4] | 3 years |
|
Name |
Countries |
Ecozone |
Biome |
Species |
Report |
Climate |
Land Use |
Aegean and Western Turkey sclerophyllous and mixed forests |
Greece, Turkey, Macedonia |
Palearctic |
Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub |
|
|
|
|
Alps conifer and mixed forests |
Italy, France, Switzerland, Slovenia |
Palearctic |
Temperate Coniferous Forests |
|
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|
|
Altai alpine meadow and tundra |
China, Kazakstan, Mongolia, Russia |
Palearctic |
Montane Grasslands and Shrublands |
|
|
|
|
Altai montane forest and forest steppe |
China, Kazakstan, Mongolia, Russia |
Palearctic |
Temperate Coniferous Forests |
|
|
|
|
Balkan mixed forests |
Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia |
Palearctic |
Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests |
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|
|
Baltic mixed forests |
Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Poland |
Palearctic |
Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests |
|
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|
|
Bering tundra |
Russia |
Palearctic |
Tundra |
|
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|
|
Caledon conifer forests |
United Kingdom |
Palearctic |
Temperate Coniferous Forests |
|
|
|
|
Cantabrian mixed forests |
Spain, Portugal |
Palearctic |
Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests |
|
|
|
|
Carpathian montane forests |
Czech Republic, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine |
Palearctic |
Temperate Coniferous Forests |
|
|
|
|
Central European mixed forests |
Austria, Belarus, Czech Republic, Germany, Lithuania, Moldovia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine |
Palearctic |
Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests |
|
|
|
|
Cherskii-Kolyma mountain tundra |
Russia |
Palearctic |
Tundra |
|
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|
|
Da Hinggan-Dzhagdy Mountains conifer forests |
China, Russia |
Palearctic |
Temperate Coniferous Forests |
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|
|
Dinaric Mountains mixed forests |
Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, Yugoslavia |
Palearctic |
Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests |
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|
East European forest steppe |
Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Ukraine |
Palearctic |
Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests |
|
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|
|
East Siberian taiga |
Russia |
Palearctic |
Boreal Forests/Taiga |
|
|
|
|
Great Lakes Basin desert steppe |
Mongolia, Russia |
Palearctic |
Deserts and Xeric Shrublands |
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|
Junggar Basin semi-desert |
China, Kazakstan, Mongolia |
Palearctic |
Deserts and Xeric Shrublands |
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|
|
Kamchatka Mountain tundra and forest tundra |
Russia |
Palearctic |
Tundra |
|
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|
|
Kamchatka-Kurile meadows and sparse forests |
Russia |
Palearctic |
Boreal Forests/Taiga |
|
|
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|
Kamchatka-Kurile taiga |
Russia |
Palearctic |
Boreal Forests/Taiga |
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|
|
Kazakh forest steppe |
Russia, Kazakhstan |
Palearctic |
Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands |
|
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|
Kola Peninsula tundra |
Russia |
Palearctic |
Tundra |
|
|
|
|
Manchurian mixed forests |
Republic of Korea, Dem. People's Rep of Korea, China, Russia |
Palearctic |
Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests |
|
|
|
|
North Atlantic moist mixed forests |
Ireland, United Kingdom |
Palearctic |
Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests |
|
|
|
|
Northeast Siberian taiga |
Russia |
Palearctic |
Boreal Forests/Taiga |
|
|
|
|
Northeastern Spain and Southern France Mediterranean forests |
France, Spain |
Palearctic |
Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub |
|
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|
|
Northwest Iberian montane forests |
Portugal, Spain |
Palearctic |
Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub |
|
|
|
|
Okhotsk-Manchurian taiga |
Russia |
Palearctic |
Boreal Forests/Taiga |
|
|
|
|
Pannonian mixed forests |
Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine |
Palearctic |
Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests |
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|
|
|
Pindus Mountains mixed forests |
Albania, Greece |
Palearctic |
Mediterranean Forests, Woodlands, and Scrub |
|
|
|
|
Pyrenees conifer and mixed forests |
Spain, France, Andorra |
Palearctic |
Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests |
|
|
|
|
Rodope montane mixed forests |
Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia |
Palearctic |
Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests |
|
|
|
|
Sakhalin Island taiga |
Russia |
Palearctic |
Boreal Forests/Taiga |
|
|
|
|
Sarmatic mixed forests |
Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Russia, Sweden |
Palearctic |
Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests |
|
|
|
|
Sayan Alpine meadows and tundra |
Mongolia, Russia |
Palearctic |
Montane Grasslands and Shrublands |
|
|
|
|
Sayan Intermontane steppe |
Russia |
Palearctic |
Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands |
|
|
|
|
Sayan montane conifer forests |
Mongolia, Russia |
Palearctic |
Temperate Coniferous Forests |
|
|
|
|
Scandinavian and Russian taiga |
Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia |
Palearctic |
Boreal Forests/Taiga |
|
|
|
|
Scandinavian coastal conifer forests |
Norway |
Palearctic |
Temperate Coniferous Forests |
|
|
|
|
Scandinavian Montane Birch forest and grasslands |
Norway, Sweden, Finland |
Palearctic |
Tundra |
|
|
|
|
Selenge-Orkhon forest steppe |
Mongolia, Russia |
Palearctic |
Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands |
|
|
|
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South Sakhalin-Kurile mixed forests |
Russia |
Palearctic |
Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests |
|
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|
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South Siberian forest steppe |
Russia |
Palearctic |
Temperate Grasslands, Savannas, and Shrublands |
|
|
|
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Trans-Baikal Bald Mountain tundra |
Russia |
Palearctic |
Tundra |
|
|
|
|
Trans-Baikal conifer forests |
Russia, Mongolia |
Palearctic |
Boreal Forests/Taiga |
|
|
|
|
Ural montane forests and tundra |
Russia |
Palearctic |
Boreal Forests/Taiga |
|
|
|
|
Ussuri broadleaf and mixed forests |
Russia |
Palearctic |
Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests |
|
|
|
|
West Siberian taiga |
Russia |
Palearctic |
Boreal Forests/Taiga |
|
|
|
|
Western European broadleaf forests |
Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany |
Palearctic |
Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests |
|
|
|
|
Western Siberian hemiboreal forests |
Russia |
Palearctic |
Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests |
|
|
|
|
Name |
Location |
IBA Criteria |
Website |
Climate |
Land Use |
Abernethy Forest |
United Kingdom |
A1, B1i, B2, C1, C3, C6 |
|
|
|
Agusalu |
Estonia |
C6 |
|
|
|
Ancares mountains |
Spain |
B2, C6 |
|
|
|
Areta, Archuba and Zariquieta mountain ranges |
Spain |
A4ii, B1iii, B2, C2, C6 |
|
|
|
Augustów forest |
Poland |
C6 |
|
|
|
Babia-Somiedo |
Spain |
A3, B1iii, B2, B3, C2, C6 |
|
|
|
Belagua-Ansó-Hecho |
Spain |
B1iii, B2, C2, C6 |
|
|
|
Belluno Dolomites |
Italy |
A1, B2, C1, C6 |
|
|
|
Beskid Zywiecki Mountains |
Poland |
C6 |
|
|
|
Beskydy mountains |
Czech Republic |
A1, B2, B3, C1, C6 |
|
|
|
Bicaz gorge and Hăşmaş Mountains |
Romania |
C6 |
|
|
|
Big and Small Akh lakes |
Russia (Central Asian) |
A1, A3 |
|
|
|
Big Indra lake |
Russia (Central Asian) |
A3 |
|
|
|
Boumort mountains |
Spain |
B1iii, B2, C2, C6 |
|
|
|
Bystroistokskaya |
Russia (Central Asian) |
A1, A3, A4i |
|
|
|
Cadí mountains |
Spain |
B1iv, B2, C5, C6 |
|
|
|
Cairngorms |
United Kingdom |
A1, B2, C1, C2, C6 |
|
|
|
Călimani Mountains |
Romania |
C6 |
|
|
|
Carniche Alps |
Italy |
B2, C6 |
|
|
|
Ceahlă Mountains |
Romania |
C6 |
|
|
|
Central ranges of the Cantabric mountains |
Spain |
B2, C6 |
|
|
|
Cerdaña |
Spain |
B2, C6 |
|
|
|
Ciuc Depression |
Romania |
C1, C6 |
|
|
|
Defileul Superior al Mureşului |
Romania |
C6 |
|
|
|
Degaña-Hermo |
Spain |
C6 |
|
|
|
Dikoye and Epanchino lakes |
Russia (Central Asian) |
A1, A3 |
|
|
|
Dobrostan |
Bulgaria |
A1, A3, B2, B3, C1, C6 |
|
|
|
Dolomites |
Italy |
A3, C6 |
|
|
|
Dresvyanskaya |
Russia (Central Asian) |
A1, A3 |
|
|
|
East slope of Northern Ural |
Russia (Central Asian) |
A1, A3 |
|
|
|
Färnebofjärden |
Sweden |
A4i, B1i, B2, B3, C2, C6 |
|
|
|
Flood-plain of Tuy river |
Russia (Central Asian) |
A1, A3 |
|
|
|
Florarna |
Sweden |
B3, C6 |
|
|
|
Forêt d'altitude du Jura : forêt du Risoux |
France |
B3, C6 |
|
|
|
Forêts d'altitude du Jura : forêt du Massacre |
France |
B3, C6 |
|
|
|
Forêts d'altitude du Jura : forêt du Risol et Mont d'Or |
France |
B3, C6 |
|
|
|
Frumoasa |
Romania |
C6 |
|
|
|
Gistaín-Cotiella |
Spain |
B2, C6 |
|
|
|
Gistreo and Coto mountain ranges |
Spain |
B2, B3, C6 |
|
|
|
Giurgeu Depression |
Romania |
C1, C6 |
|
|
|
Glen Tanar |
United Kingdom |
A1, B2, C1, C6 |
|
|
|
Gorce mountains |
Poland |
C6 |
|
|
|
Hanveden-Hemfosa |
Sweden |
B2, C6 |
|
|
|
Haut Giffre |
France |
B2, C6 |
|
|
|
Haute chaîne du Jura: défilé de l'écluse, Etournel et Mont Vuache |
France |
A4iv, B1iv, B2, C5, C6 |
|
|
|
Haute Soule : massif de la Pierre-St-Martin. |
France |
B2, C2, C6 |
|
|
|
Hautes Vallées d'Aspe et d'Ossau |
France |
B1iii, B2, C2, C6 |
|
|
|
Istochnoye, Sredneye and Schuchiye lakes |
Russia (Central Asian) |
A3 |
|
|
|
Janów forests |
Poland |
C6 |
|
|
|
Kikepera |
Estonia |
C6 |
|
|
|
Kinveachy Forest |
United Kingdom |
A1, B2, C1, C6 |
|
|
|
Kondinskiye lakes |
Russia (Central Asian) |
A3, A4i |
|
|
|
Korgonskaya |
Russia (Central Asian) |
A1, A3 |
|
|
|
Kõrvemaa |
Estonia |
C6 |
|
|
|
Kurkure mountain |
Russia (Central Asian) |
A3, A4i |
|
|
|
Kuznetski Alatau |
Russia (Central Asian) |
A1, A3, A4i |
|
|
|
Lake Ånnsjön-Storlien |
Sweden |
A1, A3, A4i, B1i, B2, B3, C1, C2, C6 |
|
|
|
Lemmenjoki-Hammastunturi-Pulju |
Finland |
A3, A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2, B3, C2, C3, C4, C6 |
|
|
|
Loch Lomond |
United Kingdom |
C6 |
|
|
|
Lower Silesia Forests |
Poland |
C1, C6 |
|
|
|
Massif des Vosges : crêtes de Schneeberg au Donon |
France |
C6 |
|
|
|
Massif des Vosges: Hautes Vosges |
France |
B2, B3, C6 |
|
|
|
Massif du Canigou-Carança |
France |
A4iv, B1iv, B2, B3, C5, C6 |
|
|
|
Massif du Madres et Mont Coronat |
France |
B2, C6 |
|
|
|
Molebny Kamen' ridge |
Russia (Central Asian) |
A1, A3 |
|
|
|
Monteixo-L'Orri-Tornafort |
Spain |
B2, C6 |
|
|
|
Mount Grappa |
Italy |
A1, B1iv, B2, C1, C5, C6 |
|
|
|
Muddus |
Sweden |
A4i, B1i, B2, B3, C3, C6 |
|
|
|
Muniellos |
Spain |
C6 |
|
|
|
Muraka |
Estonia |
C6 |
|
|
|
Ordesa-Bielsa |
Spain |
A3, B2, C6 |
|
|
|
Ötscher-Dürrenstein |
Austria |
B2, C6 |
|
|
|
Ozersky pine forest |
Russia (Central Asian) |
A1, A3 |
|
|
|
Paradise Valley mountain plateau |
Kazakhstan |
A1, A3 |
|
|
|
Parc National des Cévennes |
France |
B2, B3, C6 |
|
|
|
Peña Labra and Cordel mountain ranges |
Spain |
B2, B3, C6 |
|
|
|
Persenk |
Bulgaria |
B2, C6 |
|
|
|
Picos de Europa mountain range |
Spain |
A3, B1iii, B2, B3, C2, C6 |
|
|
|
Pirin |
Bulgaria |
A3, B2, B3, C6 |
|
|
|
Polica Mountain Range |
Poland |
C6 |
|
|
|
Posets-Maladeta |
Spain |
A3, B2, C6 |
|
|
|
Poyasovy Kamen' ridge |
Russia (Central Asian) |
A1, A3 |
|
|
|
Puig Carlit et environs |
France |
B2, B3, C2, C6 |
|
|
|
Retezat Mountains |
Romania |
C6 |
|
|
|
Riaño |
Spain |
B2, B3, C2, C6 |
|
|
|
Rila |
Bulgaria |
A3, B2, B3, C6 |
|
|
|
Rodnei Mountains |
Romania |
C6 |
|
|
|
Russkoye lake |
Russia (Central Asian) |
A3 |
|
|
|
Saariselkä and Koilliskaira |
Finland |
A3, A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2, B3, C2, C3, C4, C6 |
|
|
|
San Mauricio-Bohí-Beret |
Spain |
A3, B2, C2, C6 |
|
|
|
Sjöängen: Svartån |
Sweden |
A1, B2, C1, C6 |
|
|
|
Slavyanka Mountain |
Bulgaria |
C6 |
|
|
|
Solska Forest |
Poland |
C1, C6 |
|
|
|
Stelvio National Park |
Italy |
A3, B2, C6 |
|
|
|
Sumava mountains (Bohemian forest) |
Czech Republic |
A1, B2, B3, C1, C6 |
|
|
|
Taarikõnnu-Kaisma |
Estonia |
C6 |
|
|
|
Tarvisio Forest |
Italy |
B2, B3, C6 |
|
|
|
Tatra mountains |
Poland |
C6 |
|
|
|
Teletskoye lake |
Russia (Central Asian) |
A3, A4i |
|
|
|
Trigrad-Mursalitsa |
Bulgaria |
A1, B2, B3, C1, C6 |
|
|
|
Turbón-Espés-Sis |
Spain |
B2, B3, C2, C6 |
|
|
|
Vallées du Lis et de la Pique |
France |
B2, C6 |
|
|
|
Vizhay river |
Russia (Central Asian) |
A3 |
|
|
|
Vrancea Mountains |
Romania |
C6 |
|
|
|
Watershed of the Mulym'ya and Bolshoy Tap rivers |
Russia (Central Asian) |
A1, A3, A4i |
|
|
|
Western Balkan |
Bulgaria |
A1, A3, B2, B3, C1, C6 |
|
|
|
Western Rhodopes |
Bulgaria |
B3, C6 |
|
|
|
Yel'tsovskaya |
Russia (Central Asian) |
A1, A3 |
|
|
|
Zapovednik "Denezhkin Kamen'" |
Russia (Central Asian) |
A1, A3 |
|
|
|
|
Name |
Location |
Endemic |
Species |
Website |
Mediterranean Basin |
Algeria, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Portugal, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey |
No |
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![](/img/rangekey.png) Attributes / relations provided by ♦ 1Storchová, Lenka; Hořák, David (2018), Data from: Life-history characteristics of European birds, Dryad, Dataset, https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.n6k3n ♦ 2Terje Lislevand, Jordi Figuerola, and Tamás Székely. 2007. Avian body sizes in relation to fecundity, mating system, display behavior, and resource sharing. Ecology 88:1605 ♦ 3Hamish Wilman, Jonathan Belmaker, Jennifer Simpson, Carolina de la Rosa, Marcelo M. Rivadeneira, and Walter Jetz. 2014. EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95:2027 ♦ 4de Magalhaes, J. P., and Costa, J. (2009) A database of vertebrate longevity records and their relation to other life-history traits. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 22(8):1770-1774 ♦ 5del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. ♦ 6British Trust for Ornithology♦ 7Jetz W, Sekercioglu CH, Böhning-Gaese K (2008) The Worldwide Variation in Avian Clutch Size across Species and Space PLoS Biol 6(12): e303. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0060303 ♦ 8Nathan P. Myhrvold, Elita Baldridge, Benjamin Chan, Dhileep Sivam, Daniel L. Freeman, and S. K. Morgan Ernest. 2015. An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96:3109 ♦ 9Jorrit H. Poelen, James D. Simons and Chris J. Mungall. (2014). Global Biotic Interactions: An open infrastructure to share and analyze species-interaction datasets. Ecological Informatics. ♦ 10Gibson, D. I., Bray, R. A., & Harris, E. A. (Compilers) (2005). Host-Parasite Database of the Natural History Museum, London Ecoregions provided by World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF). WildFinder: Online database of species distributions, ver. 01.06 Wildfinder Database |
Species taxanomy provided by GBIF Secretariat (2022). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2023-06-13; License: CC BY 4.0
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