Common in the north woods but very easy to overlook, the Spruce Grouse eludes many birders who seek it. The large buds of aspen trees are an important winter food source. They have scales on their toes that extend out -- almost like snowshoes. Ruffed Grouse are North American game birds. Since ruffed grouse can and do survive across Canada, the northern half of our country, and even down into Georgia along the Appalachian Mountains, the habitats vary greatly. Feeding: Ruffed grouse feed mainly on ground vegetation though they do eat a few insects. The Ruffed Grouse produces a variety of hissing, chirping, or peeping sounds, but is best known for the drumming sounds produced by the male. Ruffed Grouse forage on the ground and in shrubs and trees. General Ruffed Grouse Habitat. The crop is opened, and the contents are divided into piles of similar materials, Those bits of food that are unidentifiable are placed in a pile with that name. They eat Purina Grouse Chow. Grouse have pretty much the same proportion of white / dark meat as chickens do, but they don't taste like chicken. Ruffed Grouse nests are occasionally parasitized by a few other bird species like Ring-necked Pheasants and Wild Turkeys that also lay their eggs in the R. grouses’ nests. Extensive feeding upon flower-buds in apple orchards caused Ruffed Grouse to be placed on the list of bountied animals in some New England states at one time. They are usually hunted and sold onto stores; they are not easy to farm. Ruffed Grouse are found in 38 states in the U.S. and in Canada. 2. All Ruffed Grouse (except juveniles) have a prominent dark band near the tip of the tail and a tuft of feathers on the sides of the neck that can be erected into a ruff. Habitat: Ruffed Grouse are most commonly found in deciduous woodlands (mixed and poplar forests) with dense undergrowth. It's a mix of berries, seeds and insects. But while the exact plant species are different, the same basic concept applies: thick cover. The breast of young grouse is tender, wit Absurdly tame, it may sit motionless while observers pass by just a few feet away, and it may thus go unnoticed. A grouse crop is distributed to each student or group of students. They seldom fly more than a couple hundred yards, but can hover and make complete turns in the air when flying through thick brush. They are omnivores, although they feed mostly on plant material. Quick fact about ruffed grouse: They spend most of their time on the ground. Ruffed Grouse Drumming The clutch size of these birds is between 8 and 12. Grouse do not migrate and spend their entire lives within a few acres. Grouse are tiny game birds, the size of very small chickens. Male grouse tend to be larger than female grouse, which seems to hold true across all the species of grouse, with some difference within each species in terms of how drastic the size difference is. They readily perch in trees, and do most of their feeding there in winter. Ruffed Grouse are normally solitary in their social behavior. Spruce hens will eat spruce needles in the winter when no other food is available - so do sharptails, but, no as much as a spruce grouse will. Spruce Grouse are usually solitary in summer, but in winter they may gather in loose flocks. Ruffed Grouse often live in wooded and snowy areas.