182 The Ruffed Grouse 



WATER REQUIREMENTS OF GROUSE 



The ruffed grouse, like all warm-blooded animals, has an ingestion 

 requirement of moisture. Unlike many birds, the ruffed grouse meets 

 this need easily through a variety of sources. Open water, snow, 

 dew, soft fruits, succulent vegetation, and juicy insects all contribute 

 to satisfy the need for water. 



It has been suggested that serious summer drought may impair 

 the survival of the young grouse due to lack of available water. 

 However, the evidence indicates that the chicks are as adaptable in 

 getting their water requirement as are the adults. In fact both chicks 

 and adults are so independent of open water, that their summer 

 distribution is not affected materially by the location of water 

 courses, swamps, or springs. The occasions when the birds are found 

 near surface water ordinarily result from food or shelter availability 

 rather than from the seeking of water for drinking. Many grouse 

 broods and adults have been observed to spend the entire period of 

 an abnormally dry summer in coverts completely lacking surface 

 water. In some cases there was even a complete absence of dew for 

 days at a time. 



REFERENCES AND CITATIONS ON RUFFED 

 GROUSE FOOD HABITS 



Anon. Winter Food of the Ruffed Grouse in the Northeast, U. S. Biol. Survey, 



mimeo. leaflet Bi-1297, Oct., 1933. 

 Bartlett, M. L. Ruffed Grouse and Fruit Trees, Bull. Am. Game Prot. Assn., 



Vol. 13, No. 1, 1924. 

 Bendire, Chas. Life Histories of North American Game Birds, U. S. Nat. Mus. 



Bull. No. 1, 1892. 

 Brooks, Maurice. Ilex collina fruits as bird food, Wilson Bull., Vol. 55, No. 4, 



Dec, 1943. 

 Cope, J. A. Growing Wood as a Crop on New York Farms-Part 1, Trees and 



Products, Bull. 270, Cornell Ext. Bull., N. Y. State Coll. of Agr., Nov., 1933. 

 Darrow, R. W. Seasonal Food Preferences of Adult and of Young Ruffed 



Grouse in New York State, Trans. 4th N. A. Wildlife Conf., 1939. 

 Davison, V. E., and Van Dersal, W. R. Broomsedge as a Food for Wildlife, 



Journal WildHfe Mgt., Vol. 5, No. 2, AprU, 1941. 

 GilfiUan, M. C., and Bezdek, H. Winter Foods of the Ruffed Grouse in Ohio, 



Joum'. Wildlife Mgt., Vol. 8, No. 3, July, 1944. 

 Graham, E. H. Legumes for Erosion Control and WildUfe, U.S.D.A. Misc. 



Pub. No. 412, 1941. 



