98
Escarpment Magazine Winter 2014
The Ruffed Grouse is a common, non-migratory, forest
dwelling bird which is known to many locals as "partridge"
and is a favourite with hunters for its delicious meat. In the
summer, the ruffed grouse eats seeds, and fruits like thorn ap-
ples, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and is occasion-
ally seen feasting on crab apples in the yards of rural homes
and farms. It also eats insects and small snakes and frogs. In
the winter, it flies into tree branches and feeds on the buds
and catkins of deciduous trees.
The ruffed grouse is roughly the size of a chicken, about 16-
19 inches in length. It has reddish-brown to gray-brown
plumage and a short crest on its head. It has barred flanks
and a black ruff around its neck, a short, pointed bill and a
long, square, flat tail. The grouse's legs have feathers to pro-
tect them in the harsh winter months. Males and females of
the species are very similar in appearance except that the fe-
male is a bit smaller.
In winter, the Ruffed Grouse may dive into soft snow to spend
the night, and falling snow can hide the evidence of its entry.
A grouse bursting at one's feet from snow-covered ground
can be especially startling to hikers and snowshoers.
Grouse have several interesting behaviours. Beginning in
March, the territorial male Ruffed Grouse advertises himself
with a distinctive, loud drumming sound. The bird stands on
a raised perch in a secluded spot, often a downed log or
fallen dead tree, and beats his wings in the air in an acceler-
ating series of muffled thumps. While normally heard around
dawn, it is often given at other times of the day, even through
the night. Some birds are also known to drum to a lesser ex-
tent in the fall. In the fall and early winter, some inexperi-
enced young grouse frightened by a predator or something
else, will crash into buildings, trees or through windows in a
so-called "crazy-flight."
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