Why was the capercaillie called that, although he hears perfectly (4 photos)

Have you ever wondered why an animal got its name?





The capercaillie, of course, does not have the most offensive name, but it received this nickname for a reason. But hunters claim that this bird has excellent hearing. So what's the deal?



Wood grouse actually hear excellently, which is why it is difficult to hunt them. So, the bird takes off long before the hunter sees it. Often a person does not manage to see the prey at all, but only hear how it rises heavily into the air, slowly flapping its wings. Such a heavy lift is easy to understand, because wood grouse are real heroes among birds; they weigh more than six kilograms. So why, despite such acute hearing, were these birds nicknamed wood grouse?

It's all about the passionate love games that birds indulge in: at this moment they actually lose their hearing for a second. During flirting, males begin to make unusual sounds, walk in a specific way, ruffling their feathers and fluffing up their feathers.





Talking or chattering is what these sounds are called. They look like someone is sharpening a metal object. Having seen the chosen one, the capercaillie proceeds to a serenade - a squeak that resembles the chatter of a magpie. At this moment the male is so carried away that he actually goes deaf.



True, do not think that it is a matter of emotions, this is its physiological feature. These birds have a special fold in the ear canal that fills with blood during mating songs. So the bird is so excited and so carried away by his winged lover that for a few seconds he loses the ability to hear. Alas, he also loses his vigilance: hunters sometimes take advantage of moments of weakness.