At first sight most of you will think this is a turkey. Well, it does
look very much like one. He spreads his tail feathers, puffs himself
up, and struts about like a turkey. You know by this time what his
name is and I think you can easily see why he is called Ruffed.
This proud bird and his mate live with us during the whole year. They
are found usually in grassy lands and in woods.
Here they build their rude nest of dried grass, weeds and the like.
You will generally find it at the foot of a tree, or along side of an
old stump in or near swampy lands.
The Ruffed Grouse has a queer way of calling his mate. He stands on a
log or stump, puffed up like a turkey--just as you see him in the
picture. Then he struts about for a time just as you have seen a
turkey gobbler do. Soon he begins to work his wings--slowly at first,
but faster and faster, until it sounds like the beating of a drum.
His mate usually answers his call by coming. They set up housekeeping
and build their rude nest which holds from eight to fourteen eggs. As
soon as the young are hatched they can run about and find their own
food. So you see they are not much bother to their parents. When they
are a week old they can fly. The young usually stay with their parents
until next Spring. Then they start out and find mates for themselves.
I said at the first that the Ruffed Grouse stay with us all the year.
In the winter, when it is very cold, they burrow into a snowdrift to
pass the night. During the summer they always roost all night.