The answers are highlighted in red and more in depth answers follow.

The Ruffed Grouse Quiz
(Partridge)

1. The Ruffed Grouse is related to which birds:
A. The Robin
B. California Condor
C. Quail
D. Pelican

2. Molting is a time period in which birds along with the Partridge shed some feathers. Adult Grouse generally molt from:
A. January to February
B. July into September
C. May and June
D. They don’t molt

3. True or False: The Ruffed Grouse usually travels several miles a day as part of their daily routine?

4. In the fall of the year when insects are difficult to find, the partridge will eat mostly:
A. Nuts and fruit
B. Cedar buds
C. Snakes
D. MacDonald’s Take-out

5. During stormy weather, the grouse will:
A. Point in the direction of the wind
B. Stand on one leg to reduce wind drag
C. Bury themselves in the leaves
D. Shelter themselves beneath the conifers (evergreen) trees

6. True or False: The partridge often flies long distances of more than several hundred yards especially when flushed by a hunter or predator?

7. Mating season for adult birds occurs when?
A. January
B. March and April
C. August and September
D. Any time of the year

8. When the adult male is looking for a mate he:
A. Travels far and wide searching
B. Changes his colors to attract a female
C. Waits for the female to find him
D. Often stands high on a stump or log and drums his wings

9. True or False: During winter months the grouse will grow or develop snowshoe-like properties by growing a horny fringe around its’ toes?

10. A mated hen will lay between:
A. 6-16 white or buff eggs
B. 1-3 black eggs
C. 12-18 blue eggs
D. 2-5 iridescent eggs



Answers to Partridge Quiz

1. The ruffed grouse is related to which bird? The grouse is “gallinaceous” or belonging to the common fowl. It is related to quail as well as turkey, pheasant, and ptarmigan.

2. Molting occurs usually in adult birds in July into September. During that time period many times the bird will have difficulty flying.

3. False – Individual birds rarely range more than a few hundred yards a day unless severely pushed by hunters or predators

4. A.- Nuts and fruit. In the summer they eat insects because they are high in protein, berries and other wild fruit. The winters are spent mostly eating buds from several species of trees and in the springtime they eat ferns and green leaves.

5. D – Shelter themselves in the thick dark growth of conifers for protection.

6. False – When a partridge takes off it is loud and thunderous and usually scares the jeepers right out of us but generally the bird will only travel less than 100 yards and much of that distance is taken up by gliding.

7. B – March and April

8. D – He shows off as do most adult birds to attract the female and also to scare off any other male birds looking to move in. They fan out their tail, stand up on some object like a log or stump, puff out their “ruffs” around the neck area and hiss.

9. True

10. A – 6-16 white or buff colored eggs. If the eggs are destroyed early on, the hen may lay again. The mortality rate is high and the incubation period is about 24 days of which the male has nothing to do with.

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