Voices: Ruffed Grouse

[diverandgymnastaunt]

I remember camping in southwestern Alberta and falling asleep to the sound of these drummers and thinking it was some sort of a water pump starting. Once I knew what the sound was I started looking for them on logs and saw the grouse in action. It is so cool to see and hear. Now we live next to the forest and have ruffed grouse living in our backyard all winter. There are plenty of logs back there but I've never heard one drum. They seem to disappear in the spring and return in the fall.

[EddieTuduri]

This bird has better chops than me!

[ashvictory]

The original bass cannon.

[LastTree]

Hey Martha, I was an intern at Hawk Mt. Sanctuary. back in the 1990s .it was my first experience hearing this...the thump is soooo low I didn't know what it was ..I thought it was percussions of the expresso that I brewed for 4am wake -up call. LOL!

[condorcito99]

Hermoso trabajo, felicitaciones a esa digna dedicación.

[Quasar502]

The chainsaws of nature.

[AdamNegreanu]

sound like when you drop a coin

[grafikfeat]

It sounds like and old diesel engine starting up in the distance. As she said our feel it more than 'hear' it...

Tap right under your ear lobe very gently. That's the sound.

[poetsandra]

Thanks so much. Lost my father recently whom I used to grouse hunt with. We would listen for this sound as we walked in the woods. Didn't matter if we bagged a bird or not, always a beautiful experience. I wrote a poem about it, but this recording is a wonderful companion.

[Brenzilla4698]

no sounds like a steam engine

[haksiel]

Ruffed Grouse sounds like a type of food.. T_T

[CanadianReich]

helicopters starting up

[sk8boardinmonkey]

It was a great video and presentation but I personally did not think that the two photos where that good.

[FunnyFunnelCake]

the pictures are somtimes better than the real thing. :3

[warbler77]

@FunnyFunnelCake 

[warbler77]

@warbler77 don't agree but a video would certainly be better than the stills

[shadetree6981]

I think what your looking for is "subsonic". And no they do not actually beat there wings or at least not together. Their wings don't touch when they drum.

[wolflove780]

i was wonderig what that sound was in my woods :l

[hhardwick3]

Ack! Now I want a muffler chicken!

[Cheyenne17124]

Time to mow the lawn.

[creosotegirl]

Life is a gift.

[Theamericanstates]

State bird of Pennsylvania, beautyful and surprising.

[thedillestpickle]

I was so confused the first time I heard this in northern alberta... I thought someone was trying to start up a generator or chainsaw or something...

[carnivourlocust]

chopper

[MajesticChicken]

Thanks a bunch. I was hiking in the mountains today, and had no idea what I was hearing, but, this is it!!!

[TEOutfit]

0:29

[redrobbietv]

I'd love to see and hear one those birds, but don't live in my county. :(

[grafikfeat]

They sound like an old diesel engine/generator trying to start, off in the distance.

Hard to hear over chainsaws. :^)

[runingblackbear]

you can feel that thump on your skin and cloths

[RobbytheLion]

I've heard this exact sound before! I had no idea it was. Yay now when I hear it again I can tell people it's a male ruffed grouse!

[agricola]

they sound like lawnmowers starting up a bit

[bblaszcz]

@agricola up north we call them muffler chickens

[davidyee]

@bblaszcz in canada we sound them tasty. :D