Identification - The breeding male is about the size of a crow. It has gray or brown plumage, a tail with a dark band near the tip, and dark neck ruffs which are raised during displays or when the bird becomes otherwise agitated.
Morsels - The Ruffed Grouse, like a chicken, is a weak flyer and has white breast or flight muscles but is a strong walker and runner with its red thigh and leg muscles. White muscles, "burn" mainly sugars and provide birds with quick and powerful bursts of energy, but they cannot be relied upon for continuous use. Red muscles "burn" mainly fats and are used for sustained energy output such as constant walking, running, or flying. Thus, the flight muscles of strong flyers, such as geese or songbirds, are red.
