554 GAME BIEDS OF CALIFOHNIA 



DiSTKiBUTiON IN CALIFORNIA — Fairly common locally in the denser humid 

 forests of the northwestern corner of the state, south to the vicinity of Humboldt 

 Bay, and cast to the Siskiyou Mountains. 



The Oregon Ruffed Grouse, a close relative of the Ruffed Grouse 

 that occurs in other parts of North America, is, unfortunately for 

 sportsmen, not widely distributed in California. Naturalists and 

 hunters who know this fine game bird in other parts of the country 

 might well wish that its distribution here were more extensive. The 

 record of southernmost occurrence within the state is for Humboldt 

 Bay (C. H. Townsend, 1886, p. 491), while eastwardly on the Oregon 

 boundary it ranges only to the Siskiyou Mountains (Anderson and 

 Grinnell, 1903, pp. 6-7). So far as known it is non-migratory and 

 breeds throughout its range. In California this grouse is an inhabitant 

 of rather dense coniferous forests, such as often grow in caiion bottoms, 

 but is chiefly a ground dweller, rarelj^ found in the trees themselves. 

 But in the northern part of its range, namely, in Oregon and Wash- 

 ington, it often affects more open country. 



In size the Oregon Ruft'ed Grouse most closely resembles the 

 Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse which formerly ranged into north- 

 eastern California. It is decidedly smaller than the Sierra or Dusky 

 Grouse, and the Sage-hen, yet much larger than any of our species 

 of quail. The complicated pattern of markings, with rich reddish 

 brown coloration predominating, the black-banded tail, and the black 

 or deep brown ruffs of broad feathers on the shoulders are, in com- 

 bination, conclusive field marks. 



In the Siskiyou Mountains, near the Oregon line, the people of 

 the region claim that it is to be seen exclusively on the ground or on 

 logs, usually in groves of small Douglas spruce, such as gi-ow near 

 or in the caiion bottoms (Anderson and Grinnell, loc. cit.). When 

 frightened, it flushes with a rapid, direct flight, almost always taking 

 pains to place as soon as possible some obstacle such as a tree between 

 itself and the observer. In some instances, the birds alight in trees 

 and there, despite the advantage of their wonderfully protective 

 coloration, they make themselves conspicuous by moving about. The 

 fact that they so often haunt dense woods makes wing shooting almost 

 impossible, and one must shoot at them as they move about after 

 alighting in the trees, or else return with an empty bag. 



These grouse are never seen in large bands. In the spring, ])airs 

 can be seen together, and later in the year the females Avith their 

 broods. After the young are full grown the family is sometimes 

 joined by the male, but the latter is rarely found witli his mate wlien 

 she has eggs or chicks. Neither do the males band together as is 

 sometimes the case with the Sierra Grouse ; they are usually found 

 singly. 



