Dusky Grouse, Ruffed Grouse
A grouse is a forest game bird that relies on its camouflage to provide protection. The combination of its coloring and slow, careful walk allows this bird to remain unseen until it bursts out of cover. A grouse can be most startling in the winter when it seems to explode out of snow banks, where it dove into soft snow to spend the night.
In the winter, projections grow from their toes and act as built-in snowshoes that help them walk on top of deep snow. According to folklore, grouse were used for weather divination. If their toe feathers were especially thick, a harsh winter was on the way. Early American settlers called these birds grewes and grows.77
Living in a forest and sporting perfect camouflage limits the type of tactics grouse can use for attracting a mate. As a result, the male grouse has developed an elaborate courtship dance and drumming to attract females. The sound has been described as ghostly because it is difficult to pinpoint the direction of the noise. Although it looks and sounds like the bird is drumming on a fallen log, it is not actually striking the log. Instead, by rapidly flapping his wings, the grouse creates mini sonic booms.
At one time, the dusky grouse was considered a subspecies of the blue grouse, but DNA tests suggested otherwise. The ruffed grouse is so named because of the longer, dark neck feathers, which are more prominent on males and used for mate-attracting displays.
Magical Workings
The grouse’s dancing and drumming activities make it a powerful ally for shamanic work and for reaching different levels of consciousness. If you have a drum, place an image of grouse next to your instrument when not in use. Also, slip an image or figurine of this bird in your pocket when you go to a drumming circle to really elevate the energy.
Grouse helps us learn how to flow with the rhythms of the natural world. As each new cycle brings challenges, it shows us how to meet them without fear. Call on grouse for support in divination, especially related to weather. The true wisdom of this bird is in finding what brings us satisfaction in life. Grouse can also teach us how to hold secrets.
Make Connection
Connect with grouse energy by dancing or drumming. Begin by walking slowly and carefully in silence or drumming very slowly, and then find a rhythm or a movement that you can sustain for a while. As you do this, visualize yourself in a forest surrounded and shielded by thick vegetation. Also imagine the smells and the texture of the forest beneath your feet. Carry on for as long as you can do so comfortably. When it feels appropriate, end your dancing or drumming and sit in silence. If you feel the energy enfolding you like the camouflage of a grouse, you have attracted its attention. A sign from grouse may come immediately or in a few days.
Associations
Element(s): Air, earth
Trees: Aspen, birch, oak, pine, spruce
Bird Identification
Dusky Grouse (Dendragapus obscurus)
Size: 15 to 21 inches
Wingspan: 26 to 46 inches
Comparative size: Crow
Description: Plump, pear-shaped body; fan-shaped tail with gray band along the tip
Male: Gray to bluish-gray body; orange-yellow or red comb over eyes; reddish or purplish patch of skin on neck surrounded by a rosette of white feathers; wings slightly mottled; black tail
Female: Mottled brown; darker tail
Range: From the southern Yukon and Northwest Territories of Canada south to California, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico
Habitat: Grass and scrublands, mountainous forests, and subalpine areas
Eggs: Cream with light brown spots
Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus)
Size: 16 to 20 inches
Wingspan: 20 to 25 inches
Comparative size: Crow
Description: Plump body; short crest on head; gray or reddish-brown with dappled patterns of bars and spots; dark bars from neck onto belly; barred tail with one wide, black band near tip
Male: Large neck ruff and crest; two or more whitish dots on rump feathers
Female: Smaller ruff; shorter crest; dark blotchy tail; one dot on rump feathers
Range: From Alaska through most of Canada, the northern United States, and down through the Appalachians and the northern Rockies
Habitat: Mixed forests with clearings and dense undergrowth
Eggs: Milky to cinnamon-buff; plain or with reddish spots
Collective noun(s): A brace, a covey, or a pack of grouse
77. Wells, 100 Birds and How They Got Their Names, 99.