Ruffed Grouse
Ruffed Grouse
Bonasa umbellus
At a Glance
As the most widespread and well-known grouse in North America, the Ruffed Grouse is found in forests from Alaska to Georgia. The male's tapping call is often heard in spring, but a careful observer might spot him perched on a horizontal log, his collar puffed out, flapping his wings in the air. Deeper in scrub forests, the Ruffed Grouse may be seen walking on the ground or perched in trees. When not hunted, they can be surprisingly docile.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Pheasants and Grouse, Upland Ground Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Forests and Woodlands, High Mountains, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets
Region
Alaska and The North, California, Eastern Canada, Great Lakes, Mid Atlantic, New England, Northwest, Plains, Rocky Mountains, Southeast, Southwest, Western Canada
Behavior
Flushes, Rapid Wingbeats, Running
Population
18.000.000
Range & Identification
Migration & Range Maps
Ruffed Grouse is a permanent resident, but may make short seasonal movements to areas with denser cover for the winter.
Description
Sexes similar; male slightly larger — Length: 16 - 19 in (41 - 48 cm); wingspan: 22 - 25 in (56 - 64 cm); weight: 17 - 26 oz (480 - 740 g). The Ruffed Grouse has a short crest; long, fan-shaped tail with wide blackish band near tip. It also has two color morphs, most obvious in tail color (gray or reddish). Black neck ruffs are not usually apparent except during displays. Wide bars of dark and white on sides (below wings) may be conspicuous.
Size
About the size of a Crow, About the size of a Mallard or Herring Gull
Color
Black, Brown, Gray, Red, White
Wing Shape
Fingered, Rounded
Tail Shape
Rounded, Square-tipped
Songs and Calls
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.
Call Pattern
Falling, Flat, Rising
Call Type
Chirp/Chip, Drum, Scream
Habitat
Deciduous and mixed forests, especially those with scattered clearings and dense undergrowth; overgrown pastures.
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Behavior
Eggs
Generally, a Ruffed Grouse lays 9 to 12 eggs; sometimes between 6 and 15. Eggs are beige, sometimes with brown spots. Only the female participates in the incubation process, which lasts between 23 and 25 days.
Young
The chicks leave the nest immediately after hatching. The female cares for the chicks and guides them to feeding sites, but the chicks feed themselves. The chicks can make short flights after 1 or 2 weeks, but they are not fully developed until several weeks later.
Feeding Behavior
It looks for food on the ground, in bushes, or in tall trees.
Diet
The Ruffed Grouse feeds primarily on plant material. Its diet includes buds, twigs, leaves, flowers, catkins, berries, and seeds. It also eats insects, spiders, snails, and, less frequently, small snakes or frogs. The diet varies seasonally: it includes various fruits and berries during the summer and autumn. Tree buds are an important part of the diet during the winter, especially in the far north, where food on the ground is buried in snow. Young birds eat mainly insects.
Nesting
In spring, the male establishes a territory for courtship displays. On a log or high perch, the males fan out their tails, raise their crests and neck ruffs, and strut from side to side. They make quick, stiff movements to produce a loud clattering sound. The female, attracted by the sound, mates with the male. A male may mate with several females. Nest: The site is on the ground and has dense covering, usually next to a log, rock, or the base of a tree, or under dense bushes. The nest (built by the female) is a depression lined with leaves, grass, pine needles, and often some feathers.
Conservation
Conservation Status
Climate Threats Facing the Ruffed Grouse
Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.
