The Pennsylvania Game Commission is continuing to research the decline of the grouse population, and the agency is hoping to find answers in dead or injured birds.
The Game Commission is asking anyone who finds a sick, inured or dead grouse to let them know about it. Those birds that sick or injured will be taken to a wildlife rehabilitation facility with the eventual goal of being released. The request for injured or dead grouse was made last month, and in the first two weeks two carcasses have already been submitted.
Just as vital, according to PGC grouse biologist Lisa Williams, are the blood samples that will be drawn from each grouse, live or dead. The samples will be used for a state conservation genetics project focusing on grouse, and will shed light on the genetic diversity in the population compared to an historic perspective.
Williams said the blood sample data will offer insight into population declines due to habitat loss and West Nile virus have resulted in losses of genetic diversity, which would be a red flag; if WNV mortality specifically has resulted in a recent loss of diversity; and, if any unique subpopulations occur in Pennsylvania that would possibly warrant focused management attention.
Grouse populations have been declining due to habitat loss and WNV – an issue that surfaced in 2015 when Williams conducted a study with Colorado State University.
While Williams is seeking grouse collected from anywhere in the state, she said the PA Wildlife Rehab Council has notified all rehabilitators about the project and the plan if they receive injured birds.
Grouse will either be transported to Centre Wildlife Care in Centre County for blood sampling and rehabilitation, or the PGC will travel to the rehab facility in possession of the bird to take the sample. If the grouse survives its injury, it will be released at the location where it was found, Williams added.
Getting to that point, however, may not be easy.
“Wild grouse are extremely difficult to rehab, for the same reasons they are not propagated,” Williams said. “Their dramatic flush response makes them poor candidates for a ‘facility’ of any type.”
Another factor that may limit the number of injured grouse turned in is the difficulty in locating them. The camouflage pattern offered by their feathers makes grouse hard to spot in the woods, and sick or injured individuals are easy prey for predators, Williams said, adding that traumatic injuries often cause the birds to perish quickly. Common injuries to grouse include brain swelling/hemorrhage, broken neck, or extensive organ/skeletal damage from impact with vehicles, she added.
“We hear about many more dead grouse found in woods than living, injured grouse. The very few grouse that do end up in rehab are often mortally wounded via traumatic impact with buildings, windows, or vehicles,” Williams said.
Those who find and capture an injured grouse for the project are asked to keep it in a small, cardboard box in a quiet room until it can be retrieved by the PGC. If the grouse is dead, either place it on ice or freeze it.
In all instances, anyone finding a dead, sick or injured grouse is asked to call Williams at 814-692-0004 or email centrewildlifecare@gmail.com.
Grouse harvested by hunters can’t be used for a fresh blood sample, Williams said. Still, hunters can participate in the study by enrolling as a PGC Grouse and Woodcock Cooperator.
Hunters enrolled in the cooperator program will receive survey forms and blood sampling materials with instructions for the WNV part of the study. Cooperators can also assist in the genetics project by submitting a wing from harvested birds. To enroll, call 717-787-5529 and leave message for Grouse Cooperator program plus your name and mailing address.
- This story appeared in PA Outdoor News.
