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This rather ragged-looking male sooty grouse was in the midst of molting when he casually strolled across the main road in Yosemite Valley. We felt compelled to flag down and stop several cars to let him get across in one piece, as he was absolutely fearless and in no particular hurry. Once across, he slowly picked is way through a field of dry grass, pausing frequently to bask in the sun (and pose). The sooty grouse and the similar dusky grouse used to be considered as a single species, the blue grouse. Dusky grouse have purple-red throat pouches and a dark tail with a very narrow tip; sooty grouse have yellowish throat pouches and broad gray tail-tips. |
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