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Ruffed Grouse Facts & Worksheets

The medium-sized ruffed grouse of North America is distinguished for its mottled gray-brown or red-brown feathers, erectile black plumage on either sides of the neck of the ruff, and a fan-shaped tail with a unique black band.

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The medium-sized ruffed grouse (B. umbellus) of North America is the only species under the genus Bonasa, distinguished for its mottled gray-brown or red-brown feathers, erectile black plumage on either sides of the neck of the ruff, and a fan-shaped tail with a unique black band.

See the fact file below for more information on the ruffed grouse or alternatively, you can download our 27-page Ruffed Grouse worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

Taxonomy

  • In 1766, Swedish zoologist, botanist, and taxonomist Carl Linnaeus initially described the ruffed grouse in his 1766 12th edition of Systema Naturae. He first categorized it as Tetrao umbellus, housing it under the subfamily of the Eurasian grouse. 
  • In 1819, British naturalist John Francis Stephens classified the species under the genus Bonasa. 
  • It is sometimes mistakenly called a partridge, pheasant, or prairie chicken. 
  • It also has other nicknames, such as “drummer” or “thunder-chicken”.
  • Currently, there are 14 identified subspecies: B. u. yukonensis, B. u. umbelloides, B. u. labradorensis, B. u. castanea, B. u. affinis, B. u. obscura, B. u. sabini, B. u. brunnescens, B. u. togata, B. u. mediana, B. u. phaios , B. u. incana, B. u. monticola, B. u. umbellus.

Description

  • The plump, medium-sized ruffed grouse stands approximately 40 to 50 cm, with a span of 50 to 64 cm across their short wings, and weighs from 450 to 750 g. 
  • It has two recognized morphs: grey and brown. The grey morph has a grey-brown head, neck, and back, and a light-colored breast with barring. There is also much white on the underside and flanks, and the ruffed grouse, in general, has a variegated look; the throat is sometimes clearly lighter. The tail is also brownish grey, with alternating pigmentations and pigmented bars, and a black band that stretches near its end.
  • The brown morph ruffed grouse, on the other hand, has a tail of the same color and pattern, but the rest of its feathers is much more brown, displaying an appearance of a more uniform bird with less light feathers below and a noticeable grey tail. 
  • Adults have ruffs on both sides of the neck. A crest also grows on top of their head, which sometimes lies flat. Both males and females are difficult to identify, given their same markings and size. Females often have a broken subterminal tail band; however, males, on some instances, seem to have unbroken tail bands. 
  • Females have rump feathers with a single white dot, while a number of white spots in rump feathers can be seen in males.

Ecology

  • Similar to other species, the ruffed grouse spends most of its time on the ground, and prefers to wander in mixed woodland rich in aspen. 
  • It finds food on the ground or in trees.
  • The ruffed grouse is an omnivore, consuming buds, leaves, berries, seeds, and insects.

Behavior

  • What sets the ruffed grouse apart from other grouse species is its courtship ritual. It depends mainly on a non-vocal acoustic display, called drumming, which is a rapid, wing-beating show, producing a low-frequency sound that starts slow and then speeds up. 
  • When surprised, it may challenge an opponent, beating its wings very loudly. During winter, it may burst out of the snow when approached too closely. 
  • It has its own unique cycle, no matter how much or how little hunting there is. This case has sparked debates among scientists and researchers for years, and is referred to as the “grouse cycle”.

Hunting

  • Minnesota tops the list of the ruffed grouse-producing states in the United States.
  • Hunting of this species is usually done in northern and far western America, even in Canada. Hunters of the ruffed grouse are often equipped with shotguns, sometimes with dogs. 
  • The ruffed grouse is not easily spotted. It hides in thick brush, aspen stands, and second-growth pines. A foraging bird is also hard to spot since it camouflages with the thicket. It will also burrow under the snow for cover. 
  • Similar to other creatures in the forest, the ruffed grouse preserves its trails through the underbrush and pines. Its feathers can be seen on the ground and on twigs at the edges of its track. 
  • It commonly seeks gravel and clover along road beds early in the morning or late in the afternoon. It also uses sandy roadbeds to dust its plumage, getting rid of skin pests. Dusting sites are easily spotted as portions of disturbed mounds with some hints of features. The ruffed grouse will go back to these sites during the late afternoon to wallow in dust, socialize, and mate.

Ruffed Grouse Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about the ruffed grouse across 27 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Ruffed Grouse which are a prized target of sportsmen with shotguns, the ruffed grouse is considered the state bird of Pennsylvania.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Ruffed Grouse Facts
  • Greet a Grouse
  • Grouse’s Anatomy
  • What’s the Story?
  • Test Yourself
  • Unscramble Time
  • Ask Yourself
  • Get in My Belly
  • Other Game Birds
  • Ruffed and Spruce
  • Grouse Species

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Link will appear as Ruffed Grouse Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 11, 2021

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.