Wildlife Quiz - The Ruffed Grouse

The Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) exists as the most widely distributed resident game bird in North America and Canada. Due to its non-vocal courtship display, in which males rapidly beat their wings creating a “thumping” sound, they have been lovingly called “Thunder Chickens”. Even in thickly wooded timber, the drumming sound can attract mates from over a quarter mile away. During courtship rituals, males display to females their thick black ruff of neck feathers; this is where the “ruffed” grouse gets its name. Often, the grouse is mistakenly called a partridge, a name meant to identify a different species of bird.

Grouse spend a vast majority of their time on the ground, where it’s dappled; gray and black coloration makes it extremely difficult to see in mixed hardwoods. When frightened, grouse typically explode wildly into flight, beating their wings very loudly and typically giving heart palpitations to anyone within immediate earshot.

Grouse feed almost exclusively on vegetation, including buds, leaves, berries, seeds, and woody plants but will also feed on small insects. The grouse’s ability to consume foods high in cellulose allows it to feed on buds and twigs of trees and other plant species that most other animals would be incapable of digesting. Since ruffed grouse lack teeth, they frequently seek out gravel roads in the late afternoon and early mornings where they swallow small pieces of grit which pass into the gizzard and help them grind up hard food items like nuts.

Historically, ruffed grouse populations follow a 10-year cycle from high to low. The cycle occurs independent of hunter harvest numbers and scientists predict it depends on a number of various factors including, availability of feed and populations of other prey animals like the snowshoe hare.

Questions

1. What is the range of the Ruffed Grouse?
2. What are Ruffed Grouse lovingly called?
3. What do male Ruffed Grouse do to attack mates?
4. What do Ruffed Grouse do when frightened?
5. What do Ruffed Grouse eat?
6. Why do Ruffed Grouse eat grit?
7. How long is the “Ruffed Grouse Cycle”?
8. Does hunter harvest numbers predict the 10 year “grouse cycle”?

Answers

1. The range of the Ruffed Grouse includes all of Canada and North America.
2. Ruffed Grouse are lovingly called “Thunder Chickens”
3. Ruffed Grouse attract mates by rapidly beating their wings creating a “thumping” sound.
4. When frightened, Ruffed Grouse typically explode wildly into flight, beating their wings very loudly.
5. Ruffed Grouse feed almost exclusively on vegetation, including buds, leaves, berries, seeds, and woody plants but will also feed on small insects.
6. Ruffed Grouse swallow small pieces of grit which pass into the gizzard and help them grind up hard food items like nuts.
7. The “Ruffed Grouse Cycle” is 10-years.
8. No, hunter harvest numbers do not predict the 10 year “grouse cycle”, instead scientists believe it depends on a number of various factors including, availability of feed and populations of other prey animals like the snowshoe hare.