Pennsylvania State Bird

Pennsylvania designated the Ruffed Grouse in 1931 because of its long connection to Pennsylvania's upland forests and sporting heritage, especially in the state's big wooded interior. It was a practical symbolic choice: familiar to residents, visible across much of the state, and easy to connect with local schools, gardens, farms, parks, or conservation culture.

A chunky woodland game bird with a small crest, barred flanks, and a fan-shaped tail, the Ruffed Grouse blends almost perfectly into leaf litter and young forest. In Pennsylvania, it looks especially at home across mountain woodland, young forest, and rugged upland cover.

It feeds on buds, leaves, and mast, explodes into flight when startled, and depends on dense regrowth, saplings, and mixed-age forest cover. It uses young forest, mountain woodland, aspen stands, and thick understory cover well, which helps explain why the bird feels familiar well beyond protected areas.

In Pennsylvania, start with Allegheny National Forest, Rothrock State Forest, and Black Moshannon State Park. Walk quietly through regenerating forest and watch the ground ahead for a bird freezing in place before a sudden flush. Early morning and calm days help because grouse are easier to detect along trails and logging roads before disturbance builds. These kinds of places match the bird's preferred mix of young forest, mountain woodland, aspen stands, and thick understory cover.

The Ruffed Grouse is currently listed as LC. Ruffed Grouse do best where forests keep regenerating; long stretches without young forest can reduce the dense cover they need.