Have you thought about how well-aimed nicknames are sometimes? The animal world is no exception. If we consider the names of many of its representatives from the point of view of their bright features, then we will see how observant were the people who invented them. That's why the capercaillie was called capercaillie? Let's figure it out. To do this, we will study a little bird and its habits.
What is the name associated with?
Let's come to a common, fairly obvious point of view. It is understood that the name of this forest resident is associated with his lack of opportunity
hear. That is, the name of the bird directly tells us: it is deaf. However, hunters unanimously argue that this is not so. This forest resident has a very subtle ear. It’s hard to get close to him, because with any (even apparent) danger, he takes to flight. This is very interesting. A man does not yet see a bird, and she already heard it from afar and begins its heavy take-off, making an incredible noise, since it is elephant-sized by the standards of the feathered kingdom (male up to 6.5 kg). It turns out that under normal conditions the hunter does not see, but only hears this coveted prey. The described clearly cannot explain why the capercaillie was called the capercaillie. It even contradicts the given name of the bird.
Blame habits
There is a period in the life of this forest resident, which should be considered in more detail. Having understood physiology, you will be able to understand why the capercaillie was called the capercaillie. This unique period is courtship games, or current. What is going on? In early spring, males begin to present themselves to hens. To do this, they perform their own unique song, which consists of two parts. The first "aria" is called clicking. Imagine this huge rooster pacing along a branch or the ground, straining its wings, drawing “bastings” with them, making sounds similar to blows of a nail on a half-empty box of matches. Seeing the female, they go to the shrikan. This is a different sound, approximately similar to the magpie chatter. In order to publish it, the bird fills with blood a special fold located in the ear canal. She
makes it completely deaf for a few seconds. At this moment, the bird is defenseless before the attack. Now it’s clear why the capercaillie was called the capercaillie? He is so carried away by love that he loses his vigilance (this was how nature created him).
Does the bird have other names
The area where this prey valuable to hunters lives is quite wide. Until a man dominated the wildlife, large "roosters" lived in all deciduous and coniferous forests. Now their “home" is much smaller, however, they occupy large territories. Therefore, it is clear that various peoples have encountered and hunted them. Some noticed the deafness of the bird during mating, others - the habits of the female. She during the masonry "digs" under the trees or felling. She creates her nest in a place where it will be protected from rain
and immodest eyes. That is why the capercaillie is called the capucha. This is the name of the female. She "digs" away to ensure that the masonry is brought to the appearance of chicks.
Interesting Facts
It turns out that not all types of capercaillie lose their hearing when mating. Everything described concerns the largest of these birds. The wild-boar is possessed by completely different habits, although it also belongs to capercaillie. This bird is smaller, more agile. It does not make noise during take-off, runs less. But, most importantly, her song does not lead to a malfunction of the hearing aid. But wild women have another “flaw” that does not contribute to the conservation of the species. The bird is surprisingly gullible. Locals even came up with her name "humble hazel grouse." This miracle is found in the Ussuri Territory, it is found on Sakhalin.
Now to summarize, considering all the “how” and “why.” The bird was called capercaillie due to the peculiarities of its physiology, clearly manifested during mating games. Unfortunately, hunters of all genera, both human and animal, use this dangerous quality without contributing to the growth of populations of these birds.