Guest Author - Lisa Shea

The Ruffed Grouse - NOT the Ruffled Grouse - is the state bird of Pennsylvania. This bird can be found across the US and Canada.

The Ruffed Grouse is one of 10 types of grouse found in North America. It is one of the smaller of the group, around 20oz in weight. Ruffed Grouse are black with brown necks and white breasts. Their neck has a ruff on it, giving them their name.

Thought by many to be the most populous game bird in North America, the ruffed grouse does well because it can easily survive snows that kill off turkeys and other birds. They can live on buds, seeds, nuts, insects and other food supplies.

A bird's life is rarely easy, and the grouse is no exception. Less than half of grouse born in a given year survive to the next to begin breeding. They can live up to 8 years if they're lucky, although hawks and other predators take their toll.


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