4. Western capercaillie

The Western capercaillie, Tetrao urogallus, is the largest representative of the order Galliformes. The largest specimen kept in captivity weighed 7.2 kg. The species has a clear sexual dimorphism - the males are black and twice as large as the females (brown coloration). During the breeding season, due to the blockage of the ear canals caused by the influx of blood, the males do not hear - hence its name in Bulgarian (“The deaf one”). In many countries around the world the capercaillie is a valuable hunting object. It can also be tamed and accustomed to the human presence. Sometimes hunters who find nests with eggs or chickens breed them as house birds along with chickens and turkeys that have similar feeding and brooding habits.