Media
Status
Name
Species of Conservation Concern
Scientific Name
Bonasa umbellus
Family
Phasianidae (pheasants) in the order Galliformes
Description
The ruffed grouse is a chickenlike bird has brown, rufous, and gray color morphs. Adults are streaked above and barred below; females generally have darker barring than males. The tail has a dark bar near the tip, but females lack the dark band on central tail feathers. Both sexes have a dark ruff on the neck; the male uses the ruff in spring to display to females. There is also a crest atop the head, though it sometimes lies flat.
Size
Length: 17 inches (tip of bill to tip of tail).
Where To Find
Rare and local permanent resident statewide in appropriate habitat; most occur in the Ozark Border region.
Habitat and Conservation
Ruffed Grouse are found in forested landscapes, in areas with a thick, brushy undergrowth of shrubs and/or saplings. Habitat loss is a primary reason their numbers have declined. They require different specific habitats during different parts of their seasonal cycle. The Missouri Department of Conservation is working to assist landowners to provide the habitat grouse need for food, cover, breeding, drumming, nesting, and overwintering.
Food
Primary foods include green leafy plants and various seeds and fruits such as wild grapes, tick trefoil, rosehips, sumac berries, bittersweet, sedges, and bush clovers. Chicks feed mainly on insects to meet their high protein and energy requirements. In winter, grouse feed on wild fruits and acorns, but the catkins of hop hornbeam trees are a major winter staple.
Status
Rare permanent resident. Restoration efforts have had some success. A Species of Conservation Concern in Missouri.
Life Cycle
Life Cycle
Males perform distinctive courtship displays at dawn and dusk in April, usually standing on a fallen log and making rapid forward wingbeats, which creates a low, pumping noise, with accelerating speed. Females are ground-nesters, usually laying about 6–8 eggs.
Human Connections
Ruffed grouse are a favorite of hunters, in part because the birds are challenging, being difficult to see and preferring thick brush.
Ecosystem Connections
Habitat improvements implemented to boost grouse populations are good for numerous other species of plants and animals as well.
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Media Gallery
Image
Credit
Jim Rathert
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Image
Caption
In April, males perform courtship displays, usually standing on a log and creating a thumping noise with their wings.
Credit
Jim Rathert
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Caption
MDC is working to assist landowners to provide the habitat grouse need.
Credit
Cliff White
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Caption
Female ruffed grouse are ground-nesters, usually laying about 6–8 eggs.
Credit
Jim Rathert
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Image
Credit
Jim Rathert
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Video file
Caption
Video of a ruffed grouse in the wild.
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Audio file
Caption
The ruffed grouse makes a soft call, but the sound most people hear is from the male during the spring mating season.
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Similar Species
About Birds in Missouri
About 350 species of birds are likely to be seen in Missouri, though nearly 400 have been recorded within our borders. Most people know a bird when they see one — it has feathers, wings, and a bill. Birds are warm-blooded, and most species can fly. Many migrate hundreds or thousands of miles. Birds lay hard-shelled eggs (often in a nest), and the parents care for the young. Many communicate with songs and calls.