Ace Hardware's Wildlife Spotlight: Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa Umbellus)

The Ruffed Grouse is a non-migratory, medium-sized grouse widely found in the Northern United States. They spend most of their time on the ground, but if surprised will burst into flight with their wings beating loudly. The females nest on the ground and lay 6-8 eggs to a clutch.

These birds may be called “partridges,” which leads to confusion with the Grey Partridge, an introduced bird to which they are only distantly related. Unlike partridges, grouse are woodland birds. Ruffed grouse have two color phases: gray or red. They have dark ruffs of feathers on the sides of their neck.

Males and females can be difficult to tell apart, although females often have a broken subterminal tail band. Rump feathers with a single white dot also indicate a female.

Claim to fame: The males attract potential mates in the spring by “drumming” – beating their wings loudly, often from a perch on a log. Ruffed grouse have never been bred successfully in captivity.

Habitat: Primarily woodlands.

Range: .Canada, the Northern United States, the Appalachian Mountains.

What they eat: Grouse are omnivores – they eat leaves, buds, berries, seeds and insects. They even have been known to eat snakes and salamanders.

Where to see them: In forests throughout Grant County.

Source: Wikipedia