What do ruffed grouse eat?

Ruffed grouse are omnivores, eating both plants and insects. The adult grouse consume berries, fruits, other plants and insects.

Young grouse mostly consume insects before becoming adults. Adults eat buds, leaves and seeds as well as the fruit of plants and insects for protein. They generally gather food on the ground at the base of trees as they primarily live in the forest.

Grouse do not migrate as they do not fly much. They also make a distinctive noise akin to the starting of an engine, like a drumming noise. Their lifespans are short, only about a year, although some live a couple of years.