Glukhar

Fri Oct 11 21:46:11 UTC 2013

Greetings:

I believe we are talking about two different birds: the глухарь Tetrao urogallus and the тетерев Lyrurus tetrix . They are both large black grouse and the former is the larger of the two. The sounds they may make may be equally bad, (I have never heard a тетерев), but the глухарь can be found online. The two birds look similar, but their tails are quite different, the male тетерев has a large  tail in the shape of an upside down lyre, and the male глухарь has a semi-circular tale aiming upward. Both birds delight prospective girl-friends at mating places на току small groups,  but only the глухарь has the reputation of deafening himself with it. The females of the species are much smaller and speckled, plain as can be. Perhaps as a result cross-fertilization has occurred and produced a межняк.

Salutions,

Genevra

From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list [mailto:SEELANGS at LISTSERV.UA.EDU] On Behalf Of Meredig, John
Sent: Friday, October 11, 2013 9:45 AM
To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.UA.EDU
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Glukhar

Below is the entry for глухарь from my dissertation on Russian bird names.

John Meredig

     gluxói téterev, gluxár’ (+ variants). Eurasian Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus). This is a rather problematic name, as the related adjective gluxói has a number of meanings (ORD has 10 definitions). The pertinent definitions here are ‘thick, dense; wild’ and ‘deaf.’ Various scholars have attempted to relate this name to one or the other. Vasmer claims that the male “becomes deaf” (glokhnet), as it were, when it is issuing its mating call. Flint (84) claims that “[w]hile calling, the bird is apparently oblivious to its surroundings.” Gerhart (1994:295) writes that it is “noted for its deafness during its mating call when ear passages are blocked off… ; the hunter runs up close while the call lasts and then freezes until the next call is under way.” Others refer to the deafening sound these birds make when flushed: “takeoff from the ground very noisy, positively deafening” (F, 84); “When flushed, bursts out of cover very noisily” (Bruun 1970, 96); H (98) also notes the thunderous take-off (polterndes Fluggeräusch). 

     Aksakov (1868:320-21), however, emphatically denies that the name is connected with ‘deaf,’ but rather describes the wild, remote, inaccessible haunts of this bird. He does note that the idea that this bird is deaf was a widespread folk belief, even among older hunters of the time, and he notes the expression “ah, you deaf grouse” [“èkh, ty glukhaia teteria”], directed at those who failed to hear something. However, he points out that every experienced hunter knows full well that this bird has a very acute sense of hearing. Aksakov is most likely correct here. There are no corroborating names in English or German referring to deafness. This appears to be a case of a folk belief generated by an ambiguous name.

From: SEELANGS: Slavic & East European Languages and Literatures list [mailto:SEELANGS at LISTSERV.UA.EDU] On Behalf Of Jules Levin
Sent: 11 жовтня 2013 р. 11:30
To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.UA.EDU
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] Glukhar

Here's all you need to know and more:
The Western Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus), also known as the Wood Grouse, Heather Cock or Capercaillie / <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English> ˌ <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key> k <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key> æ <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key> p <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key> ər <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key> ˈ <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key> k <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key> eɪ <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key> l <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key> i <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key> / <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English> , is the largest member of the grouse <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grouse>  family.
The Russian wiki article gives the same latin name as above.
Photos are included.
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Capercaillie

However when I read the articles, I think that maybe the Russian VIKI article is giving the wrong Latin name.  It should be T. parvirostris, the Black-billed Capercaillie.
Jules Levin
Los Angeles

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