Dendragapus obscurus

This species has a large range, which spreads from northern Canada to California across the internal western United States and Canada.

occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: RESIDENT: southern Yukon and extreme southwestern MacKenzie south through the mountains of interior British Columbia (excepy coast, southwestern, and south-central areas), southwestern Alberta, eastern Washington, and the Rocky Mountains to eastern Nevada, northern and eastern Arizona, (south to White Mountains), southwestern and north-central New Mexico, western and central Colorado, and (formerly) western South Dakota (AOU 1998, 2006).

Length: 51 cm

Weight: 1188 grams

Habitat and Ecology

Systems

• Terrestrial

Comments: Coniferous forest, especially fir, mostly in open situations with a mixture of deciduous trees and shrubs (AOU 1983). Spends winter, usually at higher elevations than summer habitat, in conifer forest of various categories of age and tree density; roosts in large conifers with dense foliage (e.g., Douglas-fir during day, subalpine fir at night, northeastern Utah, Pekins et al. 1991). Nests in montane (mixed or deciduous) forest, also in shrubland in some areas (e.g., southeastern Idaho). Nests on ground under cover of brush, branches, or other vegetation.

Non-Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration.

Locally Migrant: Yes. At least some populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

May make seasonal upslope-downslope migrations. In Colorado, elevational changes between breeding and wintering sites were up to 671 m (median 488 m) for males, up to 760 m (median 122 m) for females; one-way migration distance was 1-29 km (median 10.5 km) in males, 0.1-28 km (median 1.0 km) for females; males departed breeding areas from late June to late July, females from late May to late September; both arrived in wintering areas from early October to mid-November (Cade and Hoffman 1993).

Comments: In summer feeds on a variety of berries, insects, flowers, and leaves. In the winter feeds mainly on needles and buds of conifers (Douglas-fir often important). Also eats waste grain.

Primarily a solitary montane species. Courting males establish a territory. In Colorado, apparently sedentary on winter range (average distance between locations 94-312 m, median 135 m, for 11 radio-marked adults) (Cade and Hoffman 1993).

Maximum longevity: 14 years (wild)

Breeding begins mid-April in south to late May in north. Female incubates 7-10, sometimes up to 16, eggs for 26 days. Nestlings precocial. Young tended by female. Yearling males often do not breed. May renest if nest destroyed.

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

There are 4 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.

Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 4
Specimens with Barcodes: 4
Species With Barcodes: 1

Year Assessed

Assessor/s

Reviewer/s

Contributor/s

Justification

History

• 2008
  Least Concern
• 2007
  Least Concern
• 2004
  Not Recognized
• 2000
  Not Recognized
• 1994
  Not Recognized
• 1988
  Not Recognized

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Population

Management Requirements: Winter habitat should be managed to perpetuate large trees important as roost sites (Pekins et al. 1991).