Canachites canadensis
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
The spruce grouse (Canachites canadensis), also known as Canada grouse, spruce hen or fool hen, is a medium-sized grouse closely associated with the coniferous boreal forests or taiga of North America. It is the only member of the genus Canachites.
It is one of the most arboreal grouse species, fairly well adapted to perching and moving about in trees. When approached by a predator, it relies on camouflage and immobility to an amazing degree; for example, letting people approach within a few feet before finally taking flight.
In 1747, the English naturalist George Edwards included an illustration and a description of a female spruce grouse in the second volume of his A Natural History of Uncommon Birds. He used the English name "The Brown and Spotted Heathcock". Edwards based his hand-coloured etching on a preserved specimen that had been sent to him in London from the Hudson Bay in Canada by a Mr Light. Edwards was later sent what he assumed was a specimen of the male bird by James Isham. In 1750, he included the male bird in the third volume of his book under the English name "The Black and Spotted Heathcock". When in 1758, the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus updated... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Denali National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Katmai National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Wood Buffalo National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | Jasper National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Kluane National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Banff National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 9 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Riding Mountain National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 12 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Henry Vilas Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an American Spruce Grouse sighting in Riding Mountain National Park on a given day, based on 24 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 152nd most-seen of the 181 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January, March and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an American Spruce Grouse in Riding Mountain National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, April–September and November–December, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most American Spruce Grouse sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
11th of 12
Of the 12 parks where we can rate American Spruce Grouse sightings, Riding Mountain National Park ranks 11th at under 5%. The best odds are in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (United States, about 30%), Denali National Park (United States, about 20%) and Katmai National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Phasianidae
The closest relatives of the American Spruce Grouse that you can see in Riding Mountain National Park (family Phasianidae, Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies) are Ruffed Grouse (about 20%) and Wild Turkey (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the American Spruce Grouse is recorded against all the birds logged in Riding Mountain National Park (24 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
