There are several species of grouse living in Colorado, from the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse to the greater sage-grouse. The dusky grouse is the second largest grouse in North America, second only to the sage grouse. The males tend to be slate-gray or blue-gray, while the females are usually more of a mottled brown.
Dusky grouse are near fearless animals, leaving the nest within a day of hatching and often making short flights within 8-9 days. Though fairly small animals, females tend to stand their ground when closely approached in defense of their eggs or young, and there are cases of dusky grouse attacking people.
Such was the case when this snowboarder was attacked by what appears to be a female dusky grouse at Aspen Snowmass. It’s not clear why she was going after the person, but she was pretty darn fearless while doing so.
Fortunately the chances of a dusky grouse doing any real damage to a person seem incredibly low. Still good on that snowboarder for just ignoring the animal and riding away, rather than trying to chase it off. There’s a good chance that wouldn’t have gone very well.
