by Joseph R. Garris, Wildlife Technician Upland Game & Furbearer Research Project August, 2020 The ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) is the most widely distributed member of the Pheasant Family native to the North American continent, and is found in every Canadian province and at least 33 US states. It is often found in conjunction with aspen-birch-conifer forests in the northern portion of its range, but also in the mixed oak-hickory-beech-cherry hardwood forests of the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States. Young age forest stands are important for both cover and food, and grouse populations are highest in areas where logging, burning, and other disturbance create openings in older forest stands. Other species, including American woodcock and golden-winged warbler, have similar habitat requirements for their survival. Unfortunately, Young Forest habitats are in short supply and are often not in close proximity relative to each other - in fact 5% of New Jersey's two million acres of forests are less than 20 years of age. Targeted, scientific forest management practices are critical to recover grouse populations in New Jersey.

Photo Courtesy of Gerard W. Beyersbergen Click to enlarge

Adult grouse weigh about 1.5 pounds and have a body length of about 15 to 19 inches with a wingspread of from 22 to 25 inches (males are slightly larger than females). The typical plumage is rich brown sprinkled with white and black above, and white with horizontal dark brown bars on the breast and undersides. The tail is mostly brown, and is finely barred with black and has a wide, black band near the outer edge. The ruff, from which the bird gets its name, is a ring of iridescent black feathers that almost completely encircle the male's neck. Two color phases (types) can occur: gray, and the more common typical red-brown. An adult grouse can fly at about 20 mph, although its thunderous burst makes it appear even faster.

Drumming to attract a mate Photo Courtesy of John Parke, NJAS Click to enlarge

In early spring the male grouse will seek a log on which to begin the mating ritual known as drumming to attract a mate. This drumming is a sound made by the male grouse beating his wings against the air to create a sound which is similar to someone starting a small gasoline engine. Courtship is short, only taking a few minutes and once mated, the female grouse selects a secluded nest site, usually under brush or at the base of a tree. There she will lay from six to 16 eggs in a leaf-lined depression on the ground. Following an incubation period of about 24 days, the chicks will leave the nest as soon as they are dry. The precocious chicks are capable of feeding themselves immediately, begin to fly within a week, and can fly well by three weeks of age.

Grouse chicks require large amounts of animal protein for the first few weeks of life. Small forest openings provide abundant insects and cover for feeding chicks. Chicks grow rapidly, increasing quickly from about ½ ounce at hatching to near adult weight four months later. Their diet will gradually shift to green plant materials and fruits as they become older. Adult grouse eat many types of food depending of the season. They consume protein-rich insects, blackberries, blueberries and other wild fruits during summer, and both hard- and soft-mast fruits (acorns, beechnuts, cherries, barberries, wild grapes, apples, dogwood fruits) along with various buds and leaves during autumn. Buds, especially those of aspen, birch, beech, maple, cherry and apple, are the grouse's primary winter diet. Ferns, green leaves and other evergreen foods are eaten until food becomes more available in the spring.