RUFFED GROUSE

This is a medium sized grouse that appears in the Northern half of North America.  Essentially, the Ruffed Grouse is found in 38 States and all of the Canadian Provinces.  It sports 3 different colour phases - gray, brown and red and sometimes a mix of all of the above!  They are a ground nesting bird that is very hard to spot within the leaf-litter, sticks, downed branches and stumps of any forest.  A Ruffed Grouse could be giving its spring mating dance (drumming) right in front of you and it is still a difficult bird to see on the forest floor.