Wonderful colors and details. This is an endangered species, correct?

Kay

Great pose! Nice setting and details as well.

Absolutely stunning.
It's great to see a bird image that works so well outside of the mantra (or was that crutch) of soft focus background.

Best Regards
Karl

Nice setting and a fantastic looking bird. A real wallhanger.

Cool looking bird and great pose! I like the raised head with a bit of attitude in the look.

Very cool shot!

Very cool effect given with the shorter focal length. It almost looks like a diorama in a museum. Nice work!

Gorgeous looking fella. Nice lighting. I never realized how BIG these guys are!

Cool pose, eye contact and setting.

ditto.
you did a great work.

Neat looking bird. Never have seen one before. Hope you got some from a lower perspective as well

Great shot - Lived in Norwy for almost five years back in early 90's (film) - spent some time working to get pictures of these and have a few so-so pictures - from your post sound s like you found an old male so hyped up it would attack anything - always hope this would happen to me but all ones I photographed where from blinds and all would flee instantaniously if you made one wrong move - not to mention problem of shooting at first light with 100 or 200 ASA film. Had one of my fellow Norwegian Photo buddies that found a old male that attcked him - great for shooting with shorter lens!! One day I will go back and visit my old friends and chas this bird once again -

Great shot - Lived in Norwy for almost five years back in early 90's (film) - spent some time working to get pictures of these and have a few so-so pictures - from your post sound s like you found an old male so hyped up it would attack anything - always hope this would happen to me but all ones I photographed where from blinds and all would flee instantaniously if you made one wrong move - not to mention problem of shooting at first light with 100 or 200 ASA film. Had one of my fellow Norwegian Photo buddies that found a old male that attcked him - great for shooting with shorter lens!! One day I will go back and visit my old friends and chas this bird once again -

Neat shot, and thanks for the smile you gave me as I considered him chasing you

Jack

Stuning image of this spectacular bird!

Thanks very much for all the replies. The Capercaillie is not endangered in Finland, I think in UK this species went extinct and is very rare in middle Europe. At times there has been too much hunting and in some areas too forceful forestry that has caused problems for them in Finland, but it is still relatively common and seemed to be doing very well in protected Saariselkä wilderness/national park area (their droppings were very common by the walking paths). @ mlgray: If you come to Finland photographing I can tell you this site but it's quite far, almost 30km from road, however there are open cabins halfway and close this site, paths marked to 1:100 000 and better maps of the area go there.

Outstanding image! Just love the light, the sharpness, the perspective, and the inclusion of habitat.

Big congrats from me,
Greg

Upnorth, the diorama in a museum description hits the nail right on the head for me, this image delivers a sense of importance, drama and even a time-capsule-like feel - even a little bit eerie. Impressive image.

Thanks very much, I recognize these same things in the image. I guess the classical pose/setting does it partly and partly the light which comes through thin layer of clouds. I have many frames of the bird, some in slightly brighter light and some in more cloud shaded light but only a few near by frames have similar feeling to this image.