The holidays are approaching and the other day I overheard an adult explaining to a child that a “partridge” in a pear tree is a ruffed grouse. No, I didn’t step out of line and try to correct this harmless and common error. However, Pennsylvania’s state game bird, Bonasa umbellus, is altogether different than a partridge.

The ruffed grouse has the widest distribution of any game bird in North America. They come in two different color morphs, grey and brown. More humid and warmer climates tend to have birds of the brown morph. Cooler and drier areas have the greys. There are officially 13 known subspecies of ruffed grouse.

Ruffed grouse are omnivores and they eat a very diverse diet, which is one reason that they can adapt to live in so many different locations. In addition to buds, berries, nuts, leaves and insects, they will also eat small snakes and salamanders among other oddities.

The thunderous sound of their wing beats when they burst into flight is very distinct, as is the “drumming” of their mating ritual. I love to hear them when I am outdoors hiking or hunting. I’ve always marveled at their ability to take flight when I am unprepared and also at how they almost always manage to keep a tree between us as they fly straight away from me.

An interesting behavior that ruffed grouse have is that they dig holes and burrow into the snow to stay warm in the winter. When a person approaches, they suddenly burst forth with that thunderous wing beat from complete concealment under the snow. I’ve never seen that yet, but imagine it would be quite an “invigorating” event to behold when one is unaware.

West Nile Virus (WNV) is a threat to our ruffed grouse populations. First detected in the early 2000s, it has been found in over 300 avian species in the United States. There is some good news. In Minnesota in 2005, a ruffed grouse was found during a study to have WNV antibodies in its blood, showing that the birds can develop immunity to the virus.

Subsequent studies of live birds conducted in 2018 and 2019 have shown that while birds exposed to WNV do get sick and many of them die, some of them do survive.  The Pennsylvania Game Commission has been studying WNV in ruffed grouse, and I encourage anyone that is interested to read some of the research papers on the subject.  These studies have found that the best way to ensure healthy birds is to create good quality habitat for them.

Another bit of good news is that ruffed grouse are less likely to catch avian flu than other birds. Research shows that their habits and habitats tend to make the spread of avian flu far rarer.

Happy Holidays to everyone! Enjoy the outdoors!