The Caucasian Black Grouse inhabits meadows near the forest line in the Caucasus Mountains. Males and females differ in plumage and tail shape.
Males are black with long, curved tails. Females are grey-brown with fine barring and shorter, squarer tails. Both sexes have white underwings.
Caucasian Black Grouse use burrows in soft snow to spend the night and shelter from bad weather. If a predator approaches the entrance, they can escape by breaking through the snow above the far end.
In 2004–2005, researchers fitted eight males and six females with small radio transmitters in two Georgian areas. They followed locations until 2006, excluding the deep-snow winter months, to investigate habitat used by these elusive mountain birds.
A 2010 paper combined the tracking with observations and signs from other areas, comparing climate and proximity to habitats. Its best model predicted higher occurrence in grassland close to deciduous forest edges. Tracking and field records highlighted the bird’s association with places where grasslands meet woodland.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
In 2020, interviews with 95 residents in Iran’s Arasbaran Biosphere Reserve found that about half perceived a decline in the grouse. The 2022 paper called for further investigation of grazing, fodder harvesting and vegetation change. Combining field surveys with local knowledge and community participation can inform grassland management.