Ruffed grouse birds of ‘studied caution’ ‘Drumming’ of wings identifies species

Early this fall a ruffed grouse came to visit me one windy, cold day.

Actually, she wasn’t there to visit me; in fact, she preferred not even catching a glimpse of me. If I was incautious enough to let her see me, she’d launch herself into the woods so fast I’d wonder if she had actually been there in the first place.

No, she was after the delectable greenery offered by my uncultured, natural lawn. Stepping out from the shelter of young pine trees, she was a picture of studied caution, her mincing, chicken-like gait comical as she slowly made her way out into the open.

I watched as she made her way across the lawn. She was fluffed up for maximum insulation, seeming to appear as large and as round as a basketball. Gusts of wind lifted her feathers, ruffling them.

This was the best view I had ever had of one of these woodland birds. Most of the time, my experience (and that of others) is limited to a quick glimpse of the bird as it flies away through the trees when startled by approach. At these times, the ability to observe details is greatly diminished by this bird’s heart attack-inducing explosion from the ground – especially if it happens almost underneath the feet!

The ruffed grouse has long been on the list of people’s favorite game birds. Other species also include it on their dinner menus: everything from snakes to weasels to foxes, bobcats, and birds of prey – especially great horned owls and goshawks.

Most people know the ruffed grouse by its drumming. A popular misconception concerning this behavior is that it is created by its wings beating against a log. Although the male grouse will most often choose a log upon which to perform this auditory display, the drumming sound is actually a miniature sonic boom: a rapid forward wing beat creates a momentary vacuum; when the air rushes into this vacuum on the next stroke – voila! The bird has its own version of a war drum. During an 8- to 11-second drumming session, the wings may beat up to 50 times, according to researchers.

Male grouse drum to define their territories and advertise for mates. They can drum at any time during the year, but as spring arrives drumming becomes prolonged and intensified. This is, I think, one of Maine’s most special treats. (The ruffed grouse inhabits all of New England and much of the Mid-Atlantic States, as well as Canada, Alaska, and a portion of western United States – but I had never heard one until moving to Maine). There is nothing like going out on an early April morning, walking through the awakening land and melting snow, and hearing the drumming of a ruffed grouse.

This rite of spring was long distant as I watched the grouse make her way toward my perennial bed. She hopped up into it and began pecking around; I don’t know what she found so alluring in there, or if she got what she was looking for. After about five minutes, she nonchalantly hopped out and made her way back into the woods, providing me with a neat little wildlife snapshot.

Chris Corio, a volunteer at Fields Pond Audubon Center in Holden, can be reached at fieldspond@juno.com