What is the Pennsylvania State Bird?

What is the Pennsylvania State Bird?

Ruffed Grouse is the state bird of Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania titled the Ruffed grouse as the official state bird of Pennsylvaniain 1931. These mid-sized grouse can be found in deciduous and coniferous forest with a scattered clearing. Even though its spotted grayish or reddish body can make them hard to notice in the wild, the “drumming on the air” display makes the Ruffed grouse one of a kind.

This drumming is a courtship display performed by the ruffed grouse that distinguishes them from any other grouse species. The display is a non-vocal acoustic drumming (rapid wing beating) that creates a low frequency sound that can be heard from a quarter mile distance even in thick woods. The ruffed grouse has a triangular crest and a broad fan marked by black patterns near the tips. These birds spend most of their lifetime near the ground areas and their nests are sometimes parasitized by ring-necked pheasants and wild turkeys that lay egg on the nest of the ruffed grouse.

State Bird of Pennsylvania Facts —

  • Common name:  Ruffed Grouse
  • Scientific name:  Bonasaumbellus
  • Habitat:  Mixed age groves of aspen, birch and spruce, forest of oaks, pines and hickories
  • Diet:  mostly vegetarian. Diet consists of leaves, fruits, fern, shrubs and woody plants.
  • Song and Calls:  Ruffed grouse are mostly quiet. They do make nasal squeals and hiss like alarm calls. A pete-pete-peta-peta call is made before flushing.
  • Weight:  450-750 g
  • Length:  40-50 cm
  • Wingspan:  50-64 cm
  • Average lifespan:   7-8 years
  • Incubation period:  23-24 days

Pennsylvania state bird, Ruffed Grouse are objectively small. Grouse with a small, triangular crest and anextended, fan-shaped tail are found frequently. They have small legs and often appearslenderer than other grouse kinds. The color pattern in this birds are very interesting. Ruffed Grouse are tortuously patterned with dark bars and marks on either a reddish-brown or grayish context. Dark bars down the flank of the collarcarry on and broaden on the belly.

The tail is excellently barred, with one extensive, black band close the tip. Ruffed Grouse forage on the forest-peripheral floor for seeds and insects. Showing males make a deep, casualthudding sound by thrashing their wings while standing on a log. In spring lone birds are typically seen; in summer females are found with broods of babies. Winter birds organize flocks and frequently eat buds of deciduous trees.Ruffed Grouse typicallyinhabit mixed deciduous and coniferous forest centers with dispersed clearings. They also live along woody streams and in partsrising back from burning or logging.Pennsylvania has not accepted an official state bird currently. Yet, the state has accepted the ruffed grouse as the official state game bird (1931).

Settlers trusted on this plump, red-brown bird with the fluffy legs as part of their food source. Occasionally called a partridge, the Ruffed Grouse is still anacquainted sight in Pennsylvania’s woods.
The law labelling the ruffed grouse as the official Pennsylvania State game bird is Section § 1005 (State game bird) of the Purdon’s Pennsylvania Statutes and Consolidated Statutes, Title 71 (P.S. State Government), Part 1 (The Administrative Codes and Related Provisions) Chapter 6 (Provisions Similar or Closely Related to Provisions of the Administrative Code – Secretary and Department of Internal Affairs – State Emblems Section 1005.

 

References:

http://www.ereferencedesk.com

https://www.allaboutbirds.org

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