The Ruffed Grouse - Bonasa
umbellus - is a medium-sized grouse occurring in forests in the northern
regions of North America. They are one of 18
species of grouse. It’s habitat is Aspen
woodlands and early succession mixed deciduous forests, with small clearings.
It is non-migratory. The Ruffed Grouse is the Pennsylvania
State Bird.
Description
Ruffed Grouse have two distinct
morphs, grey and brown. In the grey morph, the head, neck and back are
grey-brown; the breast is light with barring. There is much white on the
underside and flanks, and overall the birds have a variegated appearance; the
throat is often distinctly lighter. The tail is essentially the same brownish
grey, with regular barring and a broad black band near the end. Brown-morph
birds have tails of the same color and pattern, but the rest of the plumage is
much browner, giving the appearance of a more uniform bird with less light
plumage below and a conspicuously grey tail. The ruffs are on the sides of the
neck in both sexes. They also have a crest on top of their head, which
sometimes lies flat. Both sexes are similarly marked and sized, making them
difficult to tell apart, even in hand. The female often has a broken
subterminal tail band, while males tend to have unbroken tail bands, though the
opposite of either can occur. Females may also do a display similar to the
male. Another fairly accurate sign is that rump feathers with a single white
dot indicate a female; rump feathers with more than one white dot indicate a
male.
Call
Female gives soft hen-like
clucks. In spring displaying male sits on a log and beats the air with his
wings, creating a drumming sound that increases rapidly in tempo.
Food
These birds forage on the ground
or in trees. They are omnivores, eating buds, leaves, berries, seeds and
insects. Ruffed grouse favor the buds and twigs of aspen but also eat the
fruits of dogwood, mountain ash, and thorn-apple. They also eat rose hips and
the green leaves of clover, strawberries, bunchberry, aspen and some ferns.
Insects are the primary food of ruffed grouse chicks.
Breeding
The male ruffed grouse is known
for its spring mating ritual, known as “drumming.” It stands on a platform,
such as a rock, log or stump, and begins beating its wings slowly and then more
rapidly, creating a hollow, drumming sound. Drumming not only attracts females
but also defends territory from other males. The peak of the mating season is
late April. The nest is a bowl-like depression in dead leaves and vegetation on
the ground, typically at the base of a tree, stump, or boulder. Hens lay about
10 to 14 eggs that hatch in 23 days. The male grouse has no parenting role. The
chicks stay with the hen until late September and are fully grown in 16 weeks.
Conservation
Status – Least Concern
Population densities across the
continent have declined severely in recent decades, primarily from habitat
loss. In Canada,
the species is generally widespread, and is not considered globally threatened
by the IUCN. Many states in the U.S.
have open hunting seasons that run from September through January, but hunting
is not considered to be a significant contributing factor in the population
decline.
Birdwatching
Ruffed Grouse tend to be wary and will explode into
flight if approached too closely, usually well before the person trying to get
a good look is even aware that the bird is present.
Pennsylvania
Hotspots
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
Presque Isle
State Park
The National
Aviary
Erie National Wildlife Refuge
John Heinz
National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum
Cook Forest
and Clear Creek State Parks
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Imperial and Frick Park.
Todd and
Beechewood Sanctuaries.
Council Cup
Scenic Overlook
Harveys Lake
Kirby Park Natural Area
Nescopeck State Park
Susquehanna
Riverlands/Wetlands Nature Area
Seven Tubs Nature
Area
Green Lake
Park
Tinicum National
Wildlife Refuge
Bristol Marsh, Bucks County
Chrome Serpentine
Barrens
Florence Shelly Preserve
Stuart M. Stein
Preserve