Ruffed Grouse, Bonasa umbellus
This secretive grouse is easy to find in winter, when snow covers the ground and the birds fly up into the treetops to feed on buds and catkins. The summer diet, much more varied, consists of insects, seeds, fruits, and even an occasional small snake or frog. Long one of the most highly esteemed game birds in North America, the Ruffed Grouse can withstand hunting pressure as long as suitable habitat exists. But in many areas forests are maturing, eliminating the undergrowth this species needs; where this is happening, reintroduced Wild Turkeys are increasing and the grouse are decreasing.
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