Pucrasiini

Lore & Background

Koklass are monogamous with a slight tendency toward social polyandry, and both parents rear the chicks. They are largely vegetarian for much of the year, consuming pine nuts, pine shoots, bamboo shoots and seeds, but become highly insectivorous during warmer months, living almost exclusively on ants. They nest on the ground and spend nights roosting on trees or under rock overhangs, and remain in pairs or small family groups throughout the year.

Reader's Guide

The tribe Pucrasiini holds significance in ornithology as a distinct lineage closely related to grouse and turkeys, yet distantly related to pheasants. Their unique adaptations include being one of the few gamebirds that regularly fly uphill and sustain flights of many miles. The koklass pheasant exhibits moderate sexual dimorphism, with males having silver-grey plumage streaked velvety-black, a black head, chestnut breast, and white neck patches, while females have pale brown upper parts. Both sexes have elongated tails tipped with pale feathers. Though they skulk under bushes, their loud predawn calls during breeding season and autumn allow population estimation. Their legacy includes being a boreal-adapted species that does not extend above the tree line, similar to the western tragopan, and their onomatopoeic naming reflects their territorial call.

Did You Know?

• The koklass pheasant is the only species in the monotypic genus Pucrasia.
• Both 'koklass' and 'pucrasia' are onomatopoeically derived from the bird's territorial call.
• Koklass are one of the few gamebirds that regularly fly uphill and can sustain flights of many miles.
• During warmer months, they live almost exclusively on ants.