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Tejon Conservancy sponsors Mt. Pinos Sooty Grouse survey on Tejon Ranch
The Mt. Pinos Sooty Grouse (Dendragapus fuliginosus howardi), a priority 2 California Species of Special Concern, is an endemic subspecies of Sooty Grouse that historically ranged through the southern Sierra Nevada, Tehachapi Mountains, to Mt. Pinos. The Mt. Pinos Sooty Grouse requires mature conifer/fir forests for its habitat. This subspecies has not been observed in the southern portion of its range since the early 1980s, and an extant population on Tejon Ranch would be an important development in the conservation of this subspecies. In May 2009 the Conservancy conducted a focused survey for this species in the conifer forests on Tejon Ranch with Dr. James Bland, and authority on the species. Surveys were conducted over three days using standard protocols, which consisted of walking transects through patches of forest habitat looking for sign (feathers and droppings) and listening for responses to recorded female grouse vocalizations. All suitable habitat on the Ranch was surveyed but no Sooty Grouse were detected.
