The Ruffed Grouse, a plump, non-migratory woodland species (Bonasa umbellus), is the state bird of Pennsylvania. This designation recognizes the bird’s significance to the state’s natural heritage and its historical importance as a game animal. It also symbolizes Pennsylvania’s extensive forests and its commitment to wildlife conservation.
The Official State Bird: Identification and Habitat
The Ruffed Grouse is a medium-sized bird, roughly the size of a chicken, typically measuring between sixteen and nineteen inches in length. Its plumage features a complex pattern of reddish-brown or gray-brown feathers. This dappled coloration provides excellent camouflage against the forest floor and tree bark, helping the bird evade predators.
The species is named for the glossy, blackish feathers on the sides of the neck, known as the ruff. Males fan out this ruff and their broad, dark-banded tail during courtship displays or when threatened. The male also performs a unique, non-vocal acoustic display called “drumming.” This sound is created by rapidly beating its wings against the air, accelerating to a fast, deep thump that attracts mates and proclaims territory.
The Ruffed Grouse is a year-round resident, and its diet changes with the seasons to reflect available forage. In the winter, it primarily consumes the buds and catkins of deciduous trees like aspen, birch, and cherry. During warmer months, its diet expands to include a variety of seeds, wild fruits, berries, and insects, which are especially important for growing chicks. Its preferred habitat is mixed deciduous and coniferous forests, particularly those with dense, young undergrowth that provides both food and cover.
The Road to Designation
The Ruffed Grouse was formalized as Pennsylvania’s state bird in 1931 through an act of the legislature (Act No. 234). This law, passed on June 22, 1931, officially adopted the species as the state’s game bird. The selection underscored the bird’s integral role in the state’s outdoor traditions and natural resources.
The selection of a non-migratory bird emphasized its connection to the local landscape throughout the entire year. As a historically important game species, the Ruffed Grouse held a significant place in the state’s culture and economy.
Conservation Status and Presence in Pennsylvania
The Ruffed Grouse remains a popular game species, but its populations in Pennsylvania have faced significant challenges in recent decades. The Pennsylvania Game Commission actively monitors the bird’s numbers and manages its habitat to promote sustainability. Population estimates indicate declines of up to seventy percent since the early 1960s, a trend that is a major focus for conservationists.
Two primary threats to the species are habitat fragmentation and the emergence of West Nile virus, which is spread by mosquitoes. Habitat loss, particularly the reduction of young forest acreage, limits the dense cover and food sources the grouse requires. Recent genetic analysis suggests the remaining populations possess more diversity than previously assumed, offering hope that habitat restoration interventions will be effective.
The Ruffed Grouse is most likely encountered in the forested regions across northern and central Pennsylvania, where tracts of young, healthy forest still exist. The Game Commission is concentrating efforts on creating and maintaining these young forest habitats. These habitats, defined as being less than twenty years old, are crucial to helping the state bird recover from recent declines.