Bird Tour: Finland
The Grouses of Finland
We hope you enjoy this first installment of the birds of Finland! Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing more birds from T.D’s recent trip to Finland, as well as an essay on biodiversity in Finland, and interviews with key professors from the University of Helsinki’s world renowned biodiversity and ecology programs.
On a birding trip to Scandinavian Finland, one of the avian highlights is a widespread bird family that contains various species of grouse. The grouse family contains over 175 species including pheasants and old-world partridges (but not American quail). There are roughly 25 species of “grouse” in the world, including North American species such as ruffed grouse and sage grouse. Here we focus on three Eurasian species, which can be seen with a moderate amount of roadside birding in the taiga forests of Finland.
Western Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus
This is the giant of Eurasian grouse. A male may weigh up to 13 pounds, just under the mass of a wild turkey and nearly twice the weight of the greater sage grouse. Females though lacking the spectacular plumage of the male are themselves heavy weights. When flushed from the roadside, they often land in treetops to observe the intruder.
Black grouse Lyrurus tetrix
Known for their ritual mating displays, groups of these attractive grouse often display in groups to other males, even if no females are in sight. They are of medium stature but are dwarfed by their cousins the capercaillies.
Hazel grouse Tetrastes bonasia
These small grouse are comparable to the North American ruffed grouse. With a crest and intricate camouflage plumage, these birds are very mobile and not easily seen well. Nonetheless, they are common in Finland and can reside in a variety of wooded habitats.
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