Wildlife Notebook
The grouse, partridge, and pheasant of Saskatchewan are all closely related species of a group known as the galliformes, or chicken-like birds.
Our grouse (including the ptarmigan) are all native to the province, while the partridge and pheasant are introduced.
These birds feed mostly on plant material (buds, seeds and leaves), along with insects during the summer. Some of them have specialized diets, as their names suggest.
They have long been an important food resource for the Aboriginal people, and are popular today as “upland game birds” with hunters. Their numbers are monitored, and a portion of revenues collected from hunting licenses are used to maintain healthy habitats that support these game birds and all the plants and animals that co-exist with them.
Rock Ptarmigan (very rare in far north), Wild Turkey (introduced), and Greater Prairie-Chicken (probably extinct here, extirpated) may be found in Saskatchewan.
Willow ptarmigan | Spruce grouse | Ruffed grouse | Gray partridge | Sharp-tailed grouse | Sage grouse
Pheasant
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