# Grouse in flight



## Johnny (Oct 12, 2005)

When a grouse gets into flight do the tail feathers fan out? Also, I have heard pheasants fly straight and grouse do not. Is this true? Thanks, John


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## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

You shouldn't be able to see any individual feathers just the point of their tail feathers coming together...hence the name...sharptail.


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## mnswd (Oct 13, 2005)

http://www.falconphotos.com/catalog.php?item=23&catid=Game Birds


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## Brittanyman (Sep 11, 2006)

This is an interesting question. Because while pheasant hunting the past couple of years, I flushed and killed a number of sharptails. In addition I've flushed several birds (always wild flushes) that fly like grouse, but the tail is fanned out. I've always wondered if these could be Huns, or if I just have really bad eye sight? Like I said, I've never flushed one close enough to get a good look at coloration!

Thanks,
Brittanyman


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## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

Huns are about 1/2 the size of grouse. Even the young grouse we took this year look creamy white and as "sharptailed" as their adult counterparts. You shouldn't confuse the two, simply on size.

Color is what sets them off to me, they look like a silver bullet when they take off, the cream/buff back mixing with the grey-white belly...saw that a lot this weekend.


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