Tetrao Explained

Tetrao is a genus of birds in the grouse subfamily known as capercaillies. They are some of the largest living grouse. Feathers from the bird were used to create the characteristic hat of the bersaglieri, an Italian ace infantry formation.

Taxonomy

The genus Tetrao was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae.^[1] The genus name is the Latin word for a game bird, probably a black grouse.^[2] The black grouse was included by Linnaeus in the genus Tetrao but is now placed in the genus Lyrurus.^[1] The type species was designated as the western capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) by George Robert Gray in 1840.^{[3] [4]}

Species

The genus contains two species:^[5]

The fossil record of this genus is extensive:

• †Tetrao conjugens (Early Pliocene of C Europe)
• †Tetrao rhodopensis (Early Pliocene of Dorkovo, Bulgaria)
• †Tetrao partium (Early Pliocene - Early Pleistocene of SE Europe)
• †Tetrao macropus (Late Pliocene - Early Pleistocene of Hungary)
• †Tetrao praeurogallus (Early - Middle Pleistocene of E Europe)

Notes and References

1. Book: Linnaeus, Carl . Carl Linnaeus . 1758 . Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis . 1 . 10th . 159 . Laurentii Salvii . Holmiae (Stockholm) . Latin .
2. Book: Jobling, James A. . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 383 .
3. Book: Gray, George Robert . George Robert Gray . 1840 . A List of the Genera of Birds : with an Indication of the Typical Species of Each Genus . London . R. and J.E. Taylor . 62 .
4. Book: Peters . James Lee . James L. Peters . 1934 . Check-List of Birds of the World . 2 . Harvard University Press . Cambridge, Massachusetts . 24 .
5. Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . Rasmussen . Pamela . Pamela Rasmussen . July 2021 . Pheasants, partridges, francolins . IOC World Bird List Version 11.2 . International Ornithologists' Union . 23 August 2021 .