Encyclopedia of Life · EOL (see source)
Species
Least ConcernWell-adapted to living on the forest floor, the Ruffed Grouse is mottled brown-and-gray on the back and barred brown-and-gray below. This species may also be identified by its large size (16-19 inches), black-banded tail, and the ruffled head and feathers on its neck and head. Two color morphs occur, a northern morph with a gray tail and a southern morph with a rusty-red tail. Female Ruffed Grouse are slightly smaller than males, and have smaller quantities of ruffled feathers. The core range of the Ruffled Grouse is centered on southern Canada, extending north to the Arctic Circle in Alaska and south along higher elevations of the Appalachian and Rocky Mountains as far as North Carolina and Utah, respectively. Several conservation programs have led to the reintroduction of this species into isolated locations in the southern portion of its range, where it was once more common. The Ruffed Grouse is a permanent resident across its range. Ruffed Grouse inhabit cool evergreen and mixed evergreen and deciduous forests. Plant matter, including seeds, buds, leaves, and berries, make up a large proportion of this species’ diet. However during the warmer months (and particularly during bre
via IUCN
Wikidata facts
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- Ruffed Grouse (1).jpg
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- taxon name
- Bonasa umbellus
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- Bonasa umbellus
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- Bonasa umbellus
- taxon common name
- tetraz-enrufado
- short name
- B. umbellus
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Article
A male found at the Kortright Center for Conservation The ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) is a medium-sized grouse occurring in forests from the Appalachian Mountains across Canada to Alaska. It is the most widely distributed game bird in North America. It is not migratory. It is the only species in the genus Bonasa. The ruffed grouse is sometimes incorrectly referred to as a "partridge", an unrelated phasianid, and occasionally confused with the grey partridge, a bird of open areas rather than woodlands.
The ruffed grouse is the state game bird of Pennsylvania, United States.