Mugwort

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Mugwort
Mugwort (Centrocercus urophasianus), courtship cock

Mugwort ( Centrocercus urophasianus ), courtship cock

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Chicken birds (Galliformes)
Family : Pheasants (Phasianidae)
Genre : Mugwort ( Centrocercus )
Type : Mugwort
Scientific name
Centrocercus urophasianus
( Bonaparte , 1827)

The sage grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus ) is a living in western North America Hühnervogel from the family of pheasant-like .

features

The mugwort, 65 to 75 cm long, weighs 3.5 to 4 kg, with the rooster being significantly larger than the hen. The plumage of both sexes is speckled gray-brown-white and dark on the underside. The tail feathers are very pointed, they are fanned out like rays and placed vertically over the back. In the male, the throat is colored black, while the large, white feathered throat pouches reach far down to the chest and frame the fluffed bird as a splendid "ruff". The rooster is also characterized by yellow bulges.

Occurrence

The range of the mugwort; green: the recent distribution, red: distribution in historical time

The home of the mugwort is the herbaceous steppes with sagebrush in western North America , from Canada to New Mexico . While it is more likely to be found in the plains in winter, it populates the foothills in summer. In 2000 a population found in southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado was separated as a separate species, Centrocercus minimus .

behavior

The bird feeds mainly on mugwort leaves and grasses. Occasionally it also eats invertebrates . However, it is unable to digest hard seeds.

Reproduction

Courting male

In the winter months the mugworts form separate swarms according to sex. In spring they meet at courtship areas, the so-called leks . The males claim territories and court females in the twilight hours. They strut around and fan their tail feathers and hand feathers . At the same time, they inflate their air sacs and deflate them again with rolling and plopping sounds. The highest-ranking roosters mate most of the hens, but lower-ranking roosters also mate more or less often, depending on their social position. The female lays around 8 eggs in a shallow hollow in the ground and incubates them alone for 40 days. Soon after hatching, the young birds follow their mother in search of food.

Others

The mugwort is the mascot of both the Pomona College and Pitzer College sports teams . The population is threatened with extinction due to the frequent infestation with a typical immunodeficiency disease .

literature

  • National Geographic Society: Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Second Edition. National Geographic, ISBN 0870446924 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Young, JR, CE Braun, SJ Oyler-McCance, JW Hupp, & TW Quinn. 2000. A new species of sage-grouse (Phasianidae: Centrocercus ) from southwestern Colorado. Wilson Bulletin 112: 445-453. doi : 10.1676 / 0043-5643 (2000) 112 [0445: ANSOSG] 2.0.CO; 2

Web links

Commons : Mugwort ( Centrocercus urophasianus )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files