Distribution and status of the Chinese grouse Bonasa sewerzowi

Abstract

After the first discovery of the endemic Chinese grouse Bonasa sewerzowi in 1876 in the province of Gansu, the species has been found in several areas in China; most recently it was discovered in the county of Jiali in Tibet in 1997. Its distribution area should now be defined as Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet, corresponding to the distribution area of mountain conifer forest in central China between the altitudes of 2,400 and 4,300 m a.s.1. The habitat requirements of the Chinese grouse include two main factors; one is the presence of coniferous trees which are used for cover, and the other is the presence of deciduous trees and shrubs which are used for food. Due to intensive cutting of virgin forests during the past decades, the habitats of the Chinese grouse are heavily isolated and fragmented nowadays. However, due to present and future conservation measures in China, I believe in a better future for the species.