THE RUFFED GROUSE. 



At first sight most of you will 

 think this is a turkey. Well, it 

 does look very much like one. 

 He spreads his tail feathers, 

 puffs himself up, and struts about 

 like a turkey. You know by 

 this time what his name is and I 

 think you can easily see why he 

 is called Ruffed. 



This proud bird and his mate 

 live with us during the whole 

 year. They are found usually in 

 grassy lands and in woods. 



Here they build their rude 

 nest of dried grass, weeds and 

 the like. You will generally 

 find it at the foot of a tree, or 

 along side of an old stump in or 

 near swampy lands. 



The Ruffed Grouse has a 

 queer way of calling his mate. 

 He stands on a log or stump, 

 puffed up like a turkey just as 

 you see him in the picture. Then 

 he struts about for a time just 



as you have seen a turkey gob 

 bler do. Soon he begins to work 

 his wings slowly at first, but 

 faster and faster, until it sounds 

 like the beating of a drum. 



His mate usually answers his 

 call by coming. They set up 

 housekeeping and build their 

 rude nest which holds from eight 

 to fourteen eggs. As soon as 

 the young are hatched they can 

 run about and find their own 

 food. So you see they are not 

 much bother to their parents. 

 When they are a week old they 

 can fly. The young usually stay 

 with their parents until next 

 Spring. Then they start out and 

 find mates for themselves. 



I said at the first that the 

 Ruffed Grouse stay with us all 

 the year. In the winter, when 

 it is very cold, they burrow into 

 a snowdrift to pass the night. 

 During the summer they always 

 roost all night. 



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