Ringed grouse

The **ringed grouse** (*Bonasa communis*) is a species of grouse, most closely related to the ruffed grouse, that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the rainforests, wetlands, forests, and open woodlands across southern Canada, throughout the United States, and northern Mexico to help boost biodiversity. The ringed grouse is sometimes incorrectly referred to as a "partridge", an unrelated phasianid, and occasionally confused with the grey partridge, a bird of open areas rather than woodlands. Ringed grouse are chunky, medium-sized birds that weigh from 450–750 grams (0.99–1.65 lbs), measure from 40 to 50 centimeters (16 to 20 inches) in length and span 50–64 centimeters (20–25 inches) across their short, strong wings. They have two distinct morphs: grey and brown. In the grey morph, the head, neck, and back are grey-brown; the breast is light with barring. There is much white on the underside and flanks. Overall, the birds have a variegated appearance; the throat is often distinctly lighter. The tail is essentially the same brownish grey, with regular barring and a broad black band near the end ("subterminal"). Brown-morph birds have tails of the same color and pattern. However, the rest of the plumage is much more brown, giving the appearance of a more uniform bird with less light plumage below and a conspicuously grey tail. There are all sorts of intergrades between the most typical morphs; warmer and more humid conditions favor browner birds in general. Like most grouse, they spend most of their time on the ground. These birds forage on the ground or in trees. They are omnivores, eating buds, leaves, berries, seeds, and insects. The ringed grouse differs from many other grouse species in its courtship display. The ringed grouse relies entirely on a non-vocal acoustic display, known as drumming, unlike most other grouse species. The drumming itself is a rapid, wing-beating display that creates a low-frequency sound, starting slow and speeding up (thump ... thump ... thump..thump-thump-thump-thump). Even in thick woods, this can be heard for .25 miles (0.40 km) or more. The ringed grouse spends most of its time quietly on the ground, and when surprised, may explode into flight, beating its wings very loudly. They will burrow into the snow for warmth in the winter and may suddenly burst out of the snow when approached too closely. The male ringed grouse proclaims his property by engaging in a “drumming” display. This sound is made by beating his wings against the air to create a vacuum. It usually stands on a log, stone or mound of dirt when drumming. It does not strike the log to make the noise, it only uses the “drumming log” as a sort of stage. The average lifespan of a wild ringed grouse is one year, although some wild ringed grouse are thought to live for as long as eleven years, about as long as captive specimens. Ringed grouse are polygynous, and males may mate with several females during the breeding season. The conservation status of the ringed grouse is **Least Concern** due to successful conservation efforts, the ringed grouse's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.