The Chinese grouse (''Tetrastes sewerzowi''), also known as Severtzov's grouse, is the smallest grouse in the world. The species was first discovered and described by Przewalski in 1876. It is endemic to China, where it is considered endangered by the ''China Red Data Book.'' The bird is named after a

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

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and

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Nikolai Alekseevich Severtzov Nikolai Alekseyevich Severtsov (; 5 November 1827 – 7 February 1885) was a Russian Exploration, explorer and natural history, naturalist. He was among the early promoters of Darwinian ideas in Russia. Life and work Severtsov was born in K ...

Description

The females have an average mass between , and the males between . The average body length is for females and for males, making it the smallest of the grouse species. Chinese grouse are mostly brown, with lots of white and black patterning on their bellies. The males have a black chin patch, while females do not. Chinese grouse look similar to hazel grouse ('' Tetrastes bonasia''), with a few differences in plumage colouration and pattern. Both males and females have a red comb above their eyes, though it is more prominent in the males.

Taxonomy

All grouse are in the family Phasianidae, which also includes pheasants and turkeys. Different sources place the Chinese grouse into either the ''

Tetrastes ''Tetrastes'' is a genus of birds in the grouse subfamily. It contains the following species: Both species live in forests with at least some conifer Conifers () are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a su ...

'' genus along with the

hazel grouse The hazel grouse (''Tetrastes bonasia''), sometimes called the hazel hen, is one of the smaller members of the grouse family of birds. It is a sedentary species, breeding across the Palearctic as far east as Hokkaido, and as far west as eastern a ...

(''Tetrastes bonasia''), or the ''Bonasa'' genus, and there are still uncertainties about the phylogenetic relationships of these genera.

Habitat and distribution

The Chinese grouse is found exclusively in China, in the provinces of Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Tibet. As of the year 2000, the distribution of Chinese grouse extended to an area of . There are two main habitat requirements for Chinese grouse: coniferous trees for cover, and deciduous trees and shrubs for food. The species is found mostly in the mountains, between of elevation.

Status and conservation

The Chinese grouse is considered an endangered species in China. The population has been declining over the years. The main cause of this decline is habitat loss due to

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...

and habitat fragmentation. Current efforts are being made in China to stabilize the population, such as reducing logging. The

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

also recognizes that the population is declining. The Chinese grouse is listed as

Near Threatened A near-threatened species is a species which has been Conservation status, categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as that may be vulnerable to Endangered species, endangerment in the ne ...

on the

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological ...

Behavior

Vocalizations

The Chinese grouse, like other grouse species, use vocalizations when defending their territory. Their vocalizations can be described as a "whirring, bi-syllabic flutter-jump". These vocalizations are much less complex than those of the North American

ruffed grouse The ruffed grouse (''Bonasa umbellus'') is a medium-sized grouse occurring in forests from the Appalachian Mountains across Canada to Alaska. It is the most widely distributed game bird in North America. It is non-migratory. It is the only spe ...

. Male Chinese grouse also make an "offensive-cantus" (a series of nasal clucks) when

courting Courtship is the period wherein some couples get to know each other prior to a possible marriage or committed romantic, ''de facto'' relationship. Courtship traditionally may begin after a betrothal and may conclude with the celebration of marria ...

females and in other instances of short-distance communication. They will also fan out their tail feathers, spread their wings, and fluff up their plumage to appear larger and more imposing. Chinese grouse will also produce a variety of alarm calls. Among the three species in the genus ''Bonasa'', of which the Chinese grouse is sometimes considered to be a part of, the Chinese grouse has the least complex vocalizations.

Diet

Severtzov's grouse feed primarily on the buds and twigs of willow trees ('' Salix spp.'') during the winter months. During the breeding season, males continue to feed primarily on willow, while females supplement their diets with seeds from the dragon spruce (''

Picea asperata ''Picea asperata'' (dragon spruce; ) is a spruce native to western China, from eastern Qinghai, southern Gansu and southwestern Shaanxi south to western Sichuan. Description It is a medium-sized evergreen tree growing to 25–40 m tall, and with ...

''), invertebrates, and

forbs A forb or phorb is a herbaceous flowering plant that is not a graminoid (grass, sedge, or rush). The term is used in botany and in vegetation ecology especially in relation to grasslands and understory. Typically, these are eudicots without wood ...

to increase nutrient and energy intake in preparation for laying eggs.

Reproduction

The breeding season for Chinese grouse begins between March and May. Males return to their breeding grounds earlier than females and begin defending their territories with vocalizations and displays. Males must compete for a chance to mate, since there are more males than females in the population. Once a female has chosen a mate, the pair will live together in the male's territory until the end of the breeding season. During the breeding season, females tend to gain mass and males tend to lose mass. Chinese grouse usually nest at the base of trees. The females will lay eggs every other day until reaching a clutch size of 5-8 eggs. The eggs are light yellow with brown spots. The females will then incubate the eggs for 27-29 days. When the precocial chicks hatch, they will follow the female for 2-3 months before dispersing from the territory.

References

External links

iNaturalist - Chinese grouseMacaulay Library (pictures, videos, and audio)
Tetrastes Birds of China Birds of Asia Birds of Central China Endemic birds of China Birds described in 1876 Taxa named by Nikolay Przhevalsky {{Galliformes-stub