Habitat distribution modeling for the Sooty Grouse at its southern limit on the north coast of California
Historically, the Sooty Grouse (Dendragapus f. fuliginosus) occurred along California’s Coast Ranges as far south as the Russian River in central Sonoma County. The species’ distribution and status have not been duly assessed south of Humboldt and Trinity counties. It is important to inventory breeding sites of the Sooty Grouse because, where the species occurs at low density, it breeds communally, gathering year after year at the same sites. These are core habitats and identifying them is essential for managing local populations of Sooty Grouse.
Sooty Grouse populations in California's northern Coast Ranges are a southern peninsular extension of the species’ continental range and this species appears to be vulnerable to extirpation in peninsular habitats, perhaps because habitat conditions become increasingly marginal toward the tip of the peninsula.
In this project, Game Bird Research Group proposes to:
- Attain accurate coordinate locations for a sample of territorial male Sooty Grouse throughout Mendocino, Glenn, Lake, and Sonoma counties.
- Create a habitat suitability model that predicts the locations of additional breeding sites throughout the region.