#2857 "Ruffed Grouse"

#2857 "Ruffed Grouse"
16x20 inches oils on canvas
Started April 22nd, 2024

The scientific name for the Ruffed Grouse is "Bonasa Umbellus". "Bonasa" is Latin for "good when roasted". Hmmm.. The "umbellus" means a sunshade which refers to the ruff or dark-coloured neck feathers that are particularly large in the male. 

I doubt if the grouse would be flattered by the reasoning behind its Latin monicker. Ruffed Grouse is the preferred common name because it applies only to this species. There are other misleading vernacular names. The ruffed grouse is often called a partridge which is shortened to "pat". People also refer to the ruffed grouse as a pheasant or even a prairie chicken which are the proper names for distinctly different birds.

The first day at the easel roughing in the composition.

It is difficult to distinguish between the male and female ruffed grouse except when the male is displaying his dark ruffed collar of black feathers. Both sexes have a tail marked by a broad, dark band near the tip. The dappled, grayish or reddish Ruffed Grouse is hard to see in the forest. It is easy to hear in the spring when the male puts on a “drumming on air” display to attract some hens. The ruffed grouse population within the Singleton Sanctuary seems to be on the increase - perhaps from the growing number of stick shelters built along the trails. 

I enjoyed an interesting encounter with a ruffed grouse while I was picking up sticks along the Singleton trails. I was working my way along the path and noticed a ruffed grouse following close behind. I stood very still so as not to frighten it. The grouse just came closer pecking at the leaves dislodged from the sticks. We watched each other for perhaps five minutes and then I decided I had better get back to work. The grouse did not flush but kept pecking at the leaves coming ever closer regardless of the noise and chaos amid the leaves. It was a beautiful afternoon encounter in the forest. 

The next day I rode out on my tractor to do some heavy lifting. The grouse seemed to be waiting for me and was oblivious to the tractor. I rarely take my camera while working in the forest but on the third day I did in anticipation of seeing the grouse again. The ruffed grouse was ready and even posed for some beautiful profile images. The ruffed grouse was finding morsels to eat from the jostled leaves. The encounter with my new friend inspired me to paint a ruffed grouse and #2857 based on a photo by my friend John Verburg is the result. I might do another Ruffed Grouse painting of my new friend. 

Collage of pictures of my new ruffed grouse friend

Ruffed Grouse usually occupy mixed deciduous and coniferous forest interiors with scattered clearings. They also live along forested streams and in areas growing back from burning or logging. 

Ruffed Grouse are fairly small with a short, triangular crest and a long, fan-shaped tail. They have short legs and often look slimmer than other grouse species. 

Look for Ruffed Grouse foraging on the forest interior floor for seeds and insects. Displaying males make a deep, airy drumming sound by beating their wings while standing on a log. In spring you’ll likely see lone birds; in summer look for females with broods of chicks. Winter birds form flocks and often eat buds of deciduous trees. 

Ruffed Grouse feed almost exclusively on vegetation, including leaves, buds, and fruits of ferns, shrubs, and woody plants. In fall, soft fruits and acorns become an important part of the diet. Ruffed Grouse's ability to digest foods high in cellulose make it possible for them to survive harsh winter conditions in the northern part of their range, where they feed on buds and twigs of aspen, birch, and willow. Although insects and other invertebrates make up only a small part of the adult grouse's diet, chicks 2 to 4 weeks old depend on this protein-rich prey. 

After mating, female Ruffed Grouse choose a nest site at the base of a tree, stump, or rock in areas with sparse ground cover that give a clear view of predators. Nests may also be built in brush piles, or in the bases of partially open, hollowed-out stumps. The Ruffed Grouse's nest is a simple, hollowed-out depression in leaves on the forest floor, reaching up to 6 inches across and 3 inches deep. Females build the bowl-shaped nest and typically line the bowl with vegetation that they pluck from the edge of the nest site. 

• Clutch Size: 9-14 eggs 
• Egg Length: 1.5-1.6 in (3.78-4.14 cm) 
• Egg Width: 1.1-1.2 in (2.9-3 cm) 
• Incubation Period: 23-24 days 
• Egg Description: Eggs are milky to cinnamon buff sometimes spotted with reddish or brown.
• Condition at Hatching:
• Precocial; chicks hatch covered in sandy to brown down with a triangular patch of black feathers around the ears. Chicks can walk and feed themselves within 24 hours of hatching

I use these art posts to also relearn or discover for the first time, some natural history facts about the world around us. It is more of a challenge to assist and preserve something that one does not understand or appreciate. Thank you for reading this far...  Education is a way of life and may it never get old.

For this and much more art, click on Pixels or go straight to the Collections. Here is the new Wet Paint 2024 Collection. 

Warmest regards and keep your paddle in the water,

Phil Chadwick