Ruffed Grouse

On Monday, 31st December, I took part in the 2007 Christmas Bird Count in the Sheep River/Turner Valley area, south of Calgary. The weather was an absolutely perfect winter's day! On one of our stops for taking a short walk, we were so lucky to have this Ruffed Grouse fly into a tree close to the path. The lighting wasn't the best, but you can still see the rather intricate feather patterns on this bird. A good sighting! These birds are common year-round in Alberta, which doesn't necessarily mean that you will be lucky enough to see one. The Ruffed Grouse is named for the black "ruffs" on the sides of its neck. Displaying males erect these black patches to impress females". From "Birds of Alberta" by Fisher and Acorn.