ABITIBI-TÉMISCAMINGUE, QC.CA Tetraonidae’s mating season is in full swing in North –West Québec. This is the time when the Sharp-Tailed Grouse gathers in leks to compete with other males and possibly reproduce. ©André Bhérer

ABITIBI-TÉMISCAMINGUE, QC.CA Saskatchewan's provincial bird the Sharp-tailed Grouse can congregate in large groups to practice their breeding rituals. Leks of about fifty individuals can sometimes be observed in the grasslands. On another note, did you know that grasslands are the most endangered ecosystem on the planet? In North America, only 1% of tall grass prairies and 20-30% of mixed grass and short grass prairies remains mainly because of modern agriculture. ©André Bhérer

ABITIBI-TÉMISCAMINGUE, QC.CA The low cooing of male sharp-tailed grouse is created by the air passing through the syrinx and is amplified by the inflated air sacs in the neck. These sounds are mostly used to attract females to the lek. ©André Bhérer

ABITIBI-TÉMISCAMINGUE, QC.CA When spring comes sharped-tailed grouse will gather in groups on sites called lek to perform their courtship displays. Several males and a few females will arrive at the lek before sunrise to perform this mating ritual. The males will try to impress the females with different noises and guttural calls. With these demonstrations comes an elaborate dance consisting of rapidly stomping the ground, wings spread, spiked feathers and head lowered. ©André Bhérer

ABITIBI-TÉMISCAMINGUE, QC.CA Sharp-tailed Grouse in its typical habitat. ©André Bhérer

ABITIBI-TÉMISCAMINGUE, QC.CA Sharp-tailed grouse at sunrise. ©André Bhérer

ABITIBI-TÉMISCAMINGUE, QC.CA Once the summer has started, the Sharp-tailed grouse will spend a good part of its time hidden in the vegetation of fallow land and fields. ©André Bhérer

Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, QC. Canada [EN] Winter willow ptarmigan outbreaks occur in southern Quebec in cycles of about 10 years. Little literature is available on this subject, but it seems that this phenomenon would be caused by waves of extreme cold in its home range, the tundra, which would push these birds towards the south. Historical occurrences speak of thousands of visitors in Quebec City in Champlain's time during the 1600’s and of forays around Montreal until the 1800’s. ©André Bhérer

ABITIBI-TÉMISCAMINGUE, QC.CA Early season male ruffed grouse drumming in the undergrowth to attract females and to delimit its territory ©André Bhérer

ABITIBI-TÉMISCAMINGUE, QC. Canada Ruffed grouse drumming All Rights Reserved ©André Bhérer

NORD-DU-QUÉBEC, QC.CA Did you know that the male Spruce Grouse is known to produce the lowest-pitched vocal sound of any North American bird? ©André Bhérer

NORTHERN REGION, BC. CA Franklin grouse watching over its family perched on a lodgepole pine branch. ©André Bhérer

El Petén, Guatemala Turkey is a native bird to the Americas and the modern domestic turkey that we consume here and elsewhere in the world are all the result of the domestication of the wild turkey which started in Mexico hundreds of years ago. Its cousin the more colorful and less massive Ocellated turkey, is found only on the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico, northwestern Belize and northern Guatemala. ©André Bhérer