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 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. And also these birds 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.
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.
These birds forage on the ground or in trees. They are omnivores, eating buds, leaves, berries and seeds, but also insects and even small frogs.
This is the most wide-spread grouse in North America. The male is often heard drumming on a fallen log in spring on territory. When surprised, they may explode into flight. The bird is not that smart, often called fool hens by trappers.
The Ruffed Grouse is the state bird of Pennsylvania.
External links
- Ruffed Grouse Society (http://www.ruffedgrousesociety.org/ruffed_facts.asp)
- Ruffed Grouse call (http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/Song/h3000ca.wav)
- Ruffed Grouse drumming(http://birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Ruffed_Grouse_dtl.html#sound)
- Ruffed Grouse (Cornell) (http://birds.cornell.edu/programs/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Ruffed_Grouse_dtl.html)
