The Ruffed Grouse, an American Native

Like many states, Pennsylvania has a state bird, but it’s likely few residents could identify one if they saw it. The Pennsylvania legislature names the Ruffed Grouse state bird on July 22, 1931, which was relied on by early settlers as a food source. While we know that Mrs. Harry J. Shoemaker, Chairman of Birds and Flowers, as well as the officers of the State Federation of Women’s Clubs encouraged this choice, but there appears to be no record of why they were so enamored with this particular bird.

The Ruffed Grouse is one of 10 native grouse species native to the U.S. They live in 38 states, mostly in the northern section of the country. In the east they live as far south as northern Georgia and northeastern Alabama.  This hardy bird thrives during severe winters. They range in size from 17 to 25 ounces, which is slightly larger than a pigeon. As with most species, the males are generally larger than females.

The name “ruffed” comes from the long shiny feathers on the neck (which is more prominent in males) that puff up when the bird is threatened or showing off and make the bird look twice as large as it really is. This grouse has a long, fan-shaped tail, frequently with a dark band near the end, and short legs. Their color can vary, from gray to brown to red, and their feathers are patterned with dark bars and spots on reddish brown or gray feathers, and you’re more likely to see gray birds in areas with a cold winter. Males and females are very similar in color, so the best way to determine sex is generally the length of its tail or primary flight feathers. 

The male uses a “drumming” display to assert his property rights: he makes a sound by beating wings while standing on a stone or log so as to be more easily seen. The sound is much like a lawnmower starting. Drumming is more frequent in the spring when he is advertising to possible mates. These displays most frequently take place just before or just after sunrise, or sometimes on moonlit nights.

Ruffed Grouse are rather solitary; they may gather in loose flocks but do not form pair bonds. Males are territorial, and share 6-10 acres of woodland with one or two hens. Courtship lasts only a few minutes, then the hen leaves to make a nest and raise her young with no further interaction with the male. These nests are generally hollowed out areas in leaves near a tree or in brush, in an area where she can watch for predators. She will lay 8 to 14 eggs over a period of about two weeks, and the chicks hatch 24 to 26 days later.

These baby grouse weigh only about a half ounce and are the size of a man’s thumb, but are able to feed themselves right away and begin to fly at about 5 days old. They are full grown at 16 to 17 weeks and will then head out on their own. Males leave a week or two before the females. About half die in the first year, largely due to predators (frequently other birds such as hawks and owls). Others die from disease, parasites, severe weather or from crashing into trees.

These birds are omnivores and eat primarily green leaves, fruits and insects, but will sometimes eat snakes, frogs and salamanders. When snow prevents their preferred diet, they eat the dormant buds of trees, which makes then unpopular among farmers with fruit or nut producing trees.