Habitat
Mixed-age groves of aspen, dapper, and birch make ideal habitat for Ruffed Grouse in the northerly part of their range. Farther south, grouse dwell deciduous forests of oaks, hickories, and pines, while in the Pacific Northwest you can find them in riparian habitats. Because young stands of trees are significant for both embrace and food, grouse populations are higher in areas where log, burning, and other affray create early-successional forests. Populations of Ruffed Grouse are lower in mature forests and in small patches of woods surrounded by agricultural lands. Back to top
Food
Ruffed Grouse feed about entirely on vegetation, including leaves, buds, and fruits of ferns, shrubs, and arboraceous plants. In fall, easy fruits and acorns become an authoritative part of the diet. Ruffed Grouse ’ s ability to digest foods high in cellulose make it possible for them to survive coarse winter conditions in the northerly separate of their image, where they feed on buds and twigs of aspen, birch, and willow. In winter, birds in the confederacy foraging on leaves and yield of bullbrier, batch laurel, Christmas fern, and other green plants. Although insects and early invertebrates make up entirely a small partially of the adult grouse ’ randomness diet, chicks 2 to 4 weeks old depend on this protein-rich raven. Back to top
Nesting
Nest Placement
After felt, female Ruffed Grouse choose a nest site at the base of a tree, stump, or rock in areas with sparse background cover that give a clear view of predators. Nests may besides be built in brush piles, or in the bases of partially candid, hollowed-out stumps .
Nest Description
The Ruffed Grouse ’ s nest is a elementary, hollowed-out depression in leaves on the forest shock, reaching up to 6 inches across and 3 inches deep. Females build the bowl-shaped nest and typically telephone line the bowl with vegetation that they pluck from the edge of the nest web site.
Nesting Facts
Clutch Size: | 9-14 eggs |
Egg Length: | 1.5-1.6 in (3.78-4.14 cm) |
Egg Width: | 1.1-1.2 in (2.9-3 cm) |
Incubation Period: | 23-24 days |
Egg Description: | Eggs are milky to cinnamon buff sometimes spotted with reddish or brown. |
Condition at Hatching: | Precocial; chicks hatch covered in sandy to brown down with a triangular patch of black feathers around the ears. Chicks can walk and feed themselves within 24 hours of hatching. |
Back to top
Behavior
Thanks to their cryptic color and slow, deliberate movements, Ruffed Grouse can be difficult to spot as they forage on the forest floor or base on balls along the low branches of trees and shrubs to pluck berries and buds. The grouse ’ s habit of burying itself in voiced snow to roost can lead to surprise encounters for snowshoers or skiers when the birds erupt from beneath the surface. When displaying for females or defending territory, the male grouse stands atop a log, rock candy, or low dirt pitcher with crest, frill and tail erect, puffing up to closely double its normal size and beating its wings to create a rapid-fire drum audio. A drumming male will much trigger a response in a nearby male defending its own territory. Following the elaborate display, mating lasts lone a few seconds—females then go on their way to build a nest at the establish of a tree or rock and raise the young on their own. Although Ruffed Grouse are normally lone, minor groups of unrelated birds may form in descend or winter to take advantage of fat feeding spots. Back to top
Conservation
Ruffed Grouse are fairly coarse and widespread, and their populations have held steady between 1966 and 2019, according to the north american Breeding Bird Survey. Partners in Flight estimates the ball-shaped reproduction population at 18 million and rates them 8 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score, indicating a species of low conservation concern. The grouse ’ sulfur huge popularity as a game bird has led to controls on season duration, pocket limits, and area closures, deoxyadenosine monophosphate well as to extensive efforts to improve habitat through management practices that encourage early successional forest. The Ruffed Grouse Society partners with politics agencies in programs to expand grouse habitat through country purchases and target management. Habitat for Ruffed Grouse has declined where forests have matured due to fire master and limits on logging. Pesticide consumption can affect insect populations that chicks trust on.
Back to top
Credits
Partners in Flight. ( 2020 ). avian Conservation Assessment Database, adaptation 2020. Rusch, Donald H., Stephen Destefano, Michael C. Reynolds and David Lauten. ( 2000 ). Ruffed Grouse ( Bonasa umbellus ), translation 2.0. In The Birds of North America ( P. G. Rodewald, editor program ). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA.
Sauer, J. R., D. K. Niven, J. E. Hines, D. J. Ziolkowski Jr., K. L. Pardieck, J. E. Fallon, and W. A. Link ( 2019 ). The north american english Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966–2019. translation 2.07.2019. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD, USA. Sibley, D. A. ( 2014 ). The Sibley Guide to Birds, second edition. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY, USA. back to top
I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.