#capercaillies

[myfairynuffstuff]

Anders Wahlgren (1861 - 1928) - Capercaillies at the Top. Oil on canvas.

[printondemandart]

Capercaillies Courting by Ferdinand von Wright Postcard | Zazzle

[antiqueanimals]

Wild und Hund: Das Jagdmagazin. 1897.

Internet Archive

[podartists]

Capercaillies Courting (1862) | Ferdinand von Wright (1822-1906)

[uwmarchives]

Feathursday: Capercaillie

It is almost impossible to pick a favorite Grouse. We have several species that are native to Wisconsin, including the Ruffed grouse and the Greater Prairie-chicken which are all fabulous Phasianidae. However, we look across the ocean to find the Capercaillie, the largest member of the Grouse family, as a top contender for our favorite grouse. The Western Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) is mainly found in coniferous forests of northern Europe, as well as western and central Asia. They can be as large as a turkey and during their breeding season, the males are dangerously territorial.

Imagine our surprise when we found an article about a research project involving the introduction of Capercaillies and Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix) to Wisconsin. The article is in the December 1951 issue of the Wisconsin Conservation Bulletin and talks about a two-year long experiment to establish these non-native grouse in northern Wisconsin. As the forests in these areas were becoming more mature, the food supply for the native species became less plentiful. After much initial research, Dr. Gardiner Bump and John M Keener chose Outer Island, one of the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior as being the prime location to introduce the non-native species. The island was most similar to the birds' native habitat and it was easier to monitor the population.

Eggs were collected from the nests of wild birds living in Scandinavian forests. After hatching, the birds were hand-reared until they were fit enough for the flight to Wisconsin. Still, some didn’t survive the journey. After the birds were released they were contained in large enclosures so they could acclimate and be monitored for a period of time before setting them free. In spite of the effort to rid the island of major predators, some birds were taken by foxes or coyotes. The article goes on to explain that in spite of rigorous research, planning, and preparation, the experiment was a failure. “At the end of the first winter, a minimum of five birds remained out of the original release of 31 birds. The last sight records was a single hen seen in September 1950. No birds have been seen since then.”

The person in the black & white photo above is not identified but is shown cheerfully holding what appears to be a male capercaillie.

This issue of the Wisconsin Conservation Bulletin, which also includes an intriguing article titled “The Case Against Cows,” can be found in the Wilhelmine La Budde Papers (Milw Mss BC).

[jadeseadragon]

Ferdinand von Wright (Finnish, 1822 - 1906), Fighting Capercaillies, 1886, oil on canvas, 124 x 188.5 cm.

[antiqueanimals]

Birds of the Russian Woods. Written by Ghennady Snegiryov. Illustrated by Valentin Fedotov. 1970.

Internet Archive

[antiqueanimals]

Birds of the Russian Woods. Written by Ghennady Snegiryov. Illustrated by Valentin Fedotov. 1970.

Internet Archive