Black grouse - Tetrao tetrix

Black grouse - Tetrao tetrix

Although the black grouse is known as a lowland bird, the Karkonosze is also a home to this endangered, rare species of bird. There are very few left in Poland, and what is more – their abundance has decreased in recent years. It occurs in the eastern regions of the country, the Western Carpathians, the Sudetes and Lower Silesian. In Karkonosze it occupies the area near the upper forest border - the lower parts of the pine forest and the upper part of the highland spruce forests, as well as the subalpine meadows along with the mountain pine woods, the highland forests in the higher parts of the land as to the glacial boilers. Black grouse is famous for its unusual mating rituals, courtship displays so-called “toots”, that occur in the mountains about 2-3 weeks later than in the lowlands. Black grouse is a polygamous species – one male does not pair with one female, and female looks after the young alone. Males tend to spend most of the year near the tooting grounds. In the mountains the apogee of mating time falls in May – males gather on peatlands or meadows before the dawn. The strongest males occupy places the center of the arena, the weaker must be satisfied with “outskirts” positions. Every male defends his small territory against others. The cocking rooster frightens the feathers, puffs the throat, leaves the wings, leans forward, and spreads the liquefied tail, revealing the snow-white pods. At the same time the bird calls – ant this sound can be heard from afar.