Wayne et al.,

Jewett et al.'s mapping of fuliginosus (Sooty) versus pallidus (Dusky, in
part) fits your account for southern BC and the Okanogan, but leaves open
the question of the southern boundary of the "Dusky Grouse" in Washington,
as they plot the subspecies sierrae (Sooty, in part) along the eastern
slopes of the Cascades south of about Wenatchee [extending on south into
Oregon and California]. I have to admit I've not paid much attention to this
distinction as yet.

Gene Hunn
18476 47th Pl. NE
Lake Forest Park, WA 98155
enhunn323 at comcast.net


===
----- Original Message -----
From: "Wayne C. Weber" <contopus at telus.net>
To: "TWEETERS" <tweeters at u.washington.edu>; "INLAND NW BIRDERS"
<inland-nw-birders at uidaho.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, July 11, 2006 11:44 AM
Subject: [Tweeters] Fw: [bcintbird] Dusky/Sooty Grouse split


> Tweeters and Inland Birders,
>
> The location of the "dividing line" between Sooty and Dusky
> Grouse is being actively discussed in BC as well as in Washington.
> The attached message from Dick Cannings, forwarded from the
> BCINTBIRD group, may be of interest. In BC, as in Okanogan County,
> WA, Sooty Grouse extend only a short distance east of the
> Cascade and Coast Mountains divide, and birds on the lower east
> slopes of these mountains are Dusky Grouse. E.g., in the Nicola
> watershed of BC, where I have studied birds for over 30 years,
> all "Blue Grouse" I have seen and heard appear to be Dusky Grouse.
> The paper by Barrowclough et al. which suggests that the
> "dividing line" runs down the middle of the Okanogan Valley
> is simply incorrect on this point, according to my observations.
>
> Wayne C. Weber
> Delta, BC
> contopus at telus.net
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dick Cannings" <dickcannings at shaw.ca>
> To: <bcintbird at yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Monday, July 10, 2006 9:32 AM
> Subject: Re: [bcintbird] Dusky/Sooty Grouse split
>
>
> Hi Laurie et al.:
>
> According to the old "bible" of BC birds (Munro and Cowan 1947), the two
> forms meet (not surprisingly) along the Cascade and Coast mountain crest.
> Birds in the alpine area of Manning Park, for instance, are considered
> Sooty
> with a bit of Dusky intergradation, while birds lower down on the east
> slope
> at Lillooet are considered Dusky with a bit of Sooty. So I think birds in
> the Okanagan could be considered "always" Dusky. If you see one, just
> look
> at the tail--if it's got a nice grey band at the end, it's a Sooty, if
> it's
> all black, it's a Dusky. That works for adults only (as we've been
> discussing lately).
>
> Dick Cannings
> Naramata, BC
>
>
>
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