the Auerhuhn became very rare in its formerly big spread-area. It was originally spread in north and Western Europe in as far as after North-Asia.
Habitat Auerhühner require a multifarious habitat: wide Mischwälder with swamp-places and bogs, but exactly this Landschaftstyp vanishes in our intensively used environment more and more, a crucial reason for the disappearance of this impressive bird from our landscape.
Way of life The birds are snails, buds, blooms on diversified food like insects, worms, forest-berries etc.. instructed, this through intensive forestry strongly is curtailed. In the summer, the Auerhühner usually are hidden in undergrowth and grass while they frequently are on trees to other seasons. Here they choose thick branches and dodge to find protection before rough weather densely on the windless side at the trunk.
Shape The Auerhuhn is the biggest rough-foot-chicken. With a total-length of approximately 90 cm, the males gain a weight up to 6 kg, the females are small and only half so heavy. The male is dark-gray, black and brown, with green iridescent breast-stain. During it, the "roses" swell perform courtship display strongly over the eyes of the Auerhahns. it spread one, rounded off tail. The female has a fork-tail on the other hand, is dark brown with a rust-colored breast-stain.
Behavior Not only the look but also the behavior of the sexes shows strong differences. The Auerhahn is unsociable and belligerent. Only in the combination-time, it meets with females. Auerhennen against it finds one to several, they stay together also after the incubation with the young females until the next spring.
Reproduction From March to May, it takes place perform courtship display of the Auerhähne. Already in the earliest morning hours, one can hear the rather quiet Balzgesänge. Begins perform courtship display they on strong horizontal branches of high trees and is continued on the ground. The Auerhahn puts the tail upright on this occasion fanned out, stretches the neck far vertically upward and resists the "beard." The wings are spread on that occasion downward. Each cock has its own precinct, with overlaps, fights occur. Usually several hens gather under the tree of the performing courtship display cock, until this down-flies to them, and it mates with.
During this perform courtship display could be shot easily the cock earlier, since its otherwise sensitive response to interferences is inhibited: The Auerhahn is actually blind with love." it was wiped out by it in many areas.
The female nests on freer places in the forest. Into the scratched hollow, 5-12 (up to 15) eggs are put. After an incubation of 4 weeks, the boys slip; they are fed long and are defended, since they become only slowly independent. In the autumn but itself the young cocks from and thins out itself with beginning of the winter.
Scientific name: