Description: The Ruffed
Grouse comes in two phases, each identified
by the color of its tail. The "gray" phase
Ruffed Grouse has a gray tail, and the "red"
phase Ruffed Grouse has a rufous-colored (red-brown)
tail. The two kinds of Ruffed Grouses are identical
otherwise.
The
male Ruffed grouse measures about 18 inches
in length. Chicken-like in appearance,
it is brownish throughout with heavily
streaked, white underparts and black flanks.
Males have a large, conspicuous crest and
a black tuft of feathers on the neck called
a "ruff". The tail, which the
male fans during courtship, is bright rufous
or gray with a narrow, dark band toward
the end. Females are slightly smaller and
have a smaller crest.
The
Ruffed Grouse is perfectly camouflaged
in the deep coniferous or mixed woodlands.
Often times birdwatchers never notice the
bird until it explodes in a flurry of flight
before being stepped on. Such encounters
can be quite startling. The male Ruffed
Grouse will drum (beat his wings rapidly)
on a log or rock to attract a female. The
male Ruffed Grouse may take several mates,
but will not assist in the rearing of the
young.
Range: The
Ruffed Grouse breeds from central Alaska
south through Canada. In the continental
United States, the Ruffed Grouse breeds
in the Cascade Range and northern Rocky
Mountains, northern Minnesota, Wisconsin,
and Michigan, and throughout New England
and the Appalachian Mountain Region.
Habitat: The
Ruffed Grouse prefers extensive, mixed
woodlands, usually in mountainous settings.
Diet: The
diet of the Ruffed Grouse consists of buds,
twigs, leaves, ferns, acorns, and sometimes
insects.
Nesting: The
female lays 7-16 eggs in a bowl-shaped
depression in the ground.
Status: The
Ruffed Grouse is common and stable.
Ruffed Grouse Video
Hear a drumming Ruffed Grouse
