Field Guide/Birds/Bonasa umbellus
The Ruffed Grouse, Bonasa umbellus, is a medium-sized grouse.
Ruffed Grouse have two distinct color phases, grey and red. In the grey phase, adults have a long square brownish tail with barring and a black subterminal band near the end. The head, neck and back are grey-brown; they have a light breast with barring. The ruffs are located on the sides of the neck. These birds also have a "mohawk" on top of their head, which sometimes you can see, but normally the feathers are flat on the Ruffed Grouse's head. The female is smaller with less obvious ruffs and a shorter tail. The female often has a broken subterminal tail band, while males often have unbroken tail bands. This is not always an accurate way to sex the ruffed grouse because occasionally the female has a more complete tail band, and males sometimes have a broken tail band. A fairly accurate method for sexing ruffed grouse involves inspection of the rump feathers. Feathers with a single white dot indicate a female, feathers with >1 white dot to indicate that the bird is a male.
Their breeding habitat is forests across Canada and the northern United States including Alaska. They nest on the ground in dense growth, usually near a log or tree trunk.
They are permanent residents. Some move short distances to denser cover for winter.
The Ruffed Grouse have very distinct habitat requirements. Because of this, scientists have never been able to successfully breed adult Ruffed Grouse in captivity.
These birds forage on the ground or in trees. They are omnivores, eating buds, leaves, berries and seeds. They also eat insects and small frogs.
This is the most wide-spread grouse in North America, with an estimated population of more than 8 millions individuals (according to IUCN).
The male is often heard drumming on a fallen log in spring on territory. When surprised, Ruffed Grouse may explode into flight, beating their wings very loudly.
The Ruffed Grouse is the state bird of Pennsylvania.
Picture link: Ruffed Grouse in Northern Connecticut
Hunting
Ruffed Grouse are hunted across their entire range, and are widely considered to be among the most challenging of all upland birds. Population densities across the continent have declined severely in recent decades, primarily due to habitat loss. Many states in the U.S. have open Grouse hunting seasons that run from October through January, but hunting is not considered to be a significant contributing factor in the population decline.
Ruffed Grouse are pursued by hunters both with and without the aid of dogs, and in most states are taken legally only with shotguns.
References
- Template:IUCN2006 Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
External links
- Ruffed Grouse Facts - Ruffed Grouse Society
- Ruffed Grouse Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
- Ruffed Grouse Information and Photos - South Dakota Birds and Birding
- Ruffed Grouse Identification, Range, and Call - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
