Grouse are game birds belonging to the family Tetraonidae within the order Galliformes. This family also includes birds known as ptarmigans, prairie chickens, and capercaillies. The best-known species in North America is the ruffed grouse, often called a partridge in New England. Male ruffed grouse are known for their drumming display to mark their territory. Other notable species include the black grouse of Europe and the sage grouse, the largest New World grouse. Grouse inhabit diverse environments, including forests, grasslands, and scrublands. Most species eat vegetation and invertebrates, using their feet to uncover food. They are known for their mating rituals. Several males assemble in a special area, called a lek, to attract females.

Where do grouse live?

Grouse are ground-dwelling birds in the family Tetraonidae. They live in varied habitats across the world. The black grouse inhabits areas of Wales, Scotland, Scandinavia, and north-central Europe, while the related L. mlokosiewiczi is found in the Caucasus. The ruffed grouse, a well-known North American species, lives mainly on berries, fruits, seeds, and buds. Spruce grouse live in northerly conifer country, while blue grouse inhabit evergreen forests. Sage grouse are found in sagebrush flats, and sharp-tailed grouse live from Quebec and Michigan westward across Canada and southwestward to New Mexico. The capercaillie is exclusively a European game bird. Prairie chickens are North American game birds that occur locally from Michigan to Saskatchewan, south to Missouri, New Mexico, and coastal Texas and Louisiana.

What do grouse look like?

Grouse belong to the family Tetraonidae and the order Galliformes. They are ground-dwelling birds adapted for short, rapid bursts of flight to escape predators, possessing short, rounded wings powered by strong breast muscles. Several grouse species exhibit unique characteristics: * The male black grouse is iridescent blue-black with white wing bars, while the female is mottled brown. * The ruffed grouse has a black band on its fan-shaped tail, and the male has erectile black feathers on the sides of its neck. * The spruce grouse has plumage extensively barred with black, and the adult male is nearly black below. * The sage grouse is the largest New World grouse, with males reaching 30 inches in length. * The capercaillie is the largest member of the grouse family, with the male displaying black and brown plumage glossed with blue and green.

Grouse are ground-dwelling birds that belong to the family Tetraonidae. They are typically reddish-brown and have feathered legs. Their diet is varied, but they are mainly vegetarian. Grouse consume berries, fruits, seeds, and buds, but they also eat insects, worms, and other invertebrates. The spruce grouse, which lives in northerly conifer forests, primarily eats conifer buds and needles, which can give its flesh a resinous taste.

Why are some grouse species threatened or endangered?

Several grouse species face threats and endangerment due to habitat loss and overhunting. Industrial advancement and new farming methods have eliminated wildlife habitats and reduced food sources for game birds. Conservation efforts involve establishing hunting regulations, such as kill limits and licensing, to generate revenue for stock replenishment. Some species, like Attwater’s prairie chicken, have become rare due to the cultivation of their tall-grass habitat.

Grouse

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Images

Illustration of a ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) showing a plump, brown and gray bird with a fan-shaped tail and a distinctive ruff of feathers around its neck.

Illustration of a spruce grouse (Falcipennis canadensis), showing a medium-sized bird with mottled brown, black, and white plumage, a short tail, and a red patch above the eye.

Illustration of a sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), showing a large bird with mottled brown and gray feathers, a white ruff around its neck, and long, spiky black tail feathers.

Illustration of a sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus), showing a plump, brown and white speckled bird with a short beak and an upright, pointed tail.

At a Glance

grouse summary

Quick Facts

Related Topics:: ptarmigan; sage grouse; sharp-tailed grouse; greater prairie chicken; common ptarmigan

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Grouse

bird family

Also known as: Tetraonidae

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 13, 2026 •History

Top Questions

What are grouse?
Grouse are game birds belonging to the family Tetraonidae within the order Galliformes. This family also includes birds known as ptarmigans, prairie chickens, and capercaillies.

The best-known species in North America is the ruffed grouse, often called a partridge in New England. Male ruffed grouse are known for their drumming display to mark their territory. Other notable species include the black grouse of Europe and the sage grouse, the largest New World grouse.

Grouse inhabit diverse environments, including forests, grasslands, and scrublands. Most species eat vegetation and invertebrates, using their feet to uncover food. They are known for their mating rituals. Several males assemble in a special area, called a lek, to attract females.
2 Britannica Sources
1. galliform: Courtship and mating
2. grouse
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Where do grouse live?
Grouse are ground-dwelling birds in the family Tetraonidae. They live in varied habitats across the world.

The black grouse inhabits areas of Wales, Scotland, Scandinavia, and north-central Europe, while the related L. mlokosiewiczi is found in the Caucasus. The ruffed grouse, a well-known North American species, lives mainly on berries, fruits, seeds, and buds. Spruce grouse live in northerly conifer country, while blue grouse inhabit evergreen forests. Sage grouse are found in sagebrush flats, and sharp-tailed grouse live from Quebec and Michigan westward across Canada and southwestward to New Mexico. The capercaillie is exclusively a European game bird. Prairie chickens are North American game birds that occur locally from Michigan to Saskatchewan, south to Missouri, New Mexico, and coastal Texas and Louisiana.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What do grouse look like?
Grouse belong to the family Tetraonidae and the order Galliformes. They are ground-dwelling birds adapted for short, rapid bursts of flight to escape predators, possessing short, rounded wings powered by strong breast muscles.

Several grouse species exhibit unique characteristics:
* The male black grouse is iridescent blue-black with white wing bars, while the female is mottled brown.
* The ruffed grouse has a black band on its fan-shaped tail, and the male has erectile black feathers on the sides of its neck.
* The spruce grouse has plumage extensively barred with black, and the adult male is nearly black below.
* The sage grouse is the largest New World grouse, with males reaching 30 inches in length.
* The capercaillie is the largest member of the grouse family, with the male displaying black and brown plumage glossed with blue and green.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What do grouse eat?
Grouse are ground-dwelling birds that belong to the family Tetraonidae. They are typically reddish-brown and have feathered legs.

Their diet is varied, but they are mainly vegetarian. Grouse consume berries, fruits, seeds, and buds, but they also eat insects, worms, and other invertebrates. The spruce grouse, which lives in northerly conifer forests, primarily eats conifer buds and needles, which can give its flesh a resinous taste.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why are some grouse species threatened or endangered?
Several grouse species face threats and endangerment due to habitat loss and overhunting. Industrial advancement and new farming methods have eliminated wildlife habitats and reduced food sources for game birds. Conservation efforts involve establishing hunting regulations, such as kill limits and licensing, to generate revenue for stock replenishment. Some species, like Attwater’s prairie chicken, have become rare due to the cultivation of their tall-grass habitat.
2 Britannica Sources
1. hunting: Game management
2. grouse
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Grouse, any of a number of game birds in the family Tetraonidae (order Galliformes). In addition to species called grouse, the group includes several birds known by particular names, such as the capercaillie and prairie chicken (see below) and the ptarmigan. The order Columbiformes contains the sandgrouse. The most famous Old World member is the black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix), of Wales, Scotland, Scandinavia, and north-central Europe; a related form (L. mlokosiewiczi) occurs in the Caucasus. The male, known as blackcock, may be 55 cm (22 inches) long and weigh almost 2 kg (about 4 pounds). He is iridescent blue-black, with white wing bars and undertail coverts; his tail curls outward like a lyre. The female, known as gray hen, is mottled brown, barred with black; she is smaller than the male. Several cocks display together in what is called a lek: they inflate red combs over their eyes, spread their tails, and circle in a crouch, quivering.

The best-known North American species is the ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus). In New England it is generally called a partridge, although it is not a true partridge. Ruffed grouse live mainly on berries, fruits, seeds, and buds but also take much animal food. Both the male and female are 40–50 cm (15.5–19.75 inches) long, with a black band on the fan-shaped tail. The male’s ruff consists of erectile black feathers on the sides of the neck. He is famous for drumming—beating his wings rapidly against the air—to proclaim his territory. In courtship display he struts, hissing, with tail cocked up before the hen.

The spruce grouse (Falcipennis canadensis), found in northerly conifer country, is nearly as big as a ruffed grouse, the male darker. Its flesh usually has the resinous taste of conifer buds and needles, its chief food. Also of evergreen forests is the blue grouse (Dendragapus obscurus), a big, dark bird, plainer and longer-tailed than the spruce grouse and heavier than the ruffed grouse.

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters

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Animal Group Names

Two species that display spectacularly are the sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and the sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus). The former is the largest New World grouse, exceeded in the family only by the capercaillie. A male may be 75 cm (30 inches) long and weigh 3.5 kg (about 7.5 pounds). This species inhabits sagebrush flats. The sharptail, a 45-cm (18-inch) bird weighing 1 kg (about 2 pounds), is wild from Quebec and Michigan westward across Canada and southwestward to New Mexico.

The capercaillie, or capercailzie (Tetrao urogallus), exclusively a European game bird, is the largest member of the grouse family. The male capercaillie, sometimes called cock of the woods, is about 85 cm (33.5 inches) long, with black and brown plumage glossed with blue and green. The hen, about one-third smaller, is mottled brown with a rusty breast patch. Hybrids of capercaillie and black grouse are fertile, suggesting a very close relationship.

The prairie chickens, or pinnated grouse (Tympanuchus), are North American game birds also noted for lek displays. The greater prairie chicken (T. cupido) is a 45-cm (17.5-inch) bird with brown plumage strongly barred below and a short rounded dark tail; a male may weigh almost 1 kg. It occurs locally from Michigan to Saskatchewan, south to Missouri, New Mexico, and coastal Texas and Louisiana; northernmost birds are somewhat migratory. One subspecies, Attwater’s prairie chicken (T. cupido attwateri), became rare as its tall-grass habitat came under cultivation. The lesser prairie chicken (T. pallidicinctus), smaller and paler, is limited to the arid west-central Great Plains. The heath hen (T. cupido cupido), extinct since 1932, was the eastern race of the greater prairie chicken. The sharp-tailed grouse is locally called prairie chicken.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Richard Pallardy.

Grouse

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