A curious Ruffed Grouse. / © Jason Berard.
Congratulations to Jason Berard for winning the November 2017 iNaturalist Vermont photo-observation of the month contest. His image of a curious Ruffed Grouse was the most popular photo-observation as measured by clicked ‘favs’.
Ruffed Grouse are often encountered along old roads and trails in the woods. The Ruffed Grouse’s startlingly explosive flush often leaves the observer breathless. Another clue to the presence of Ruffed Grouse is the territorial drumming of the male. A low, throbbing, accelerating sound, drumming is caused by a series of compression waves created by the beating of the male’s wings while he remains in a stationary position on a display log, stump, elevated terrain, or stone wall. Learn more about Ruffed Grouse from the Vermont Breeding Bird Atlas, a project of the Vermont Atlas of Life.
Visit iNaturalist Vermont and you can vote for the winner this month by clicking ‘fav’ on your favorite photo-observation. Make sure you get outdoors and record the biodiversity around you, then submit your discoveries and you could be a winner!
