Ruffed Grouse State Bird of Pennsylvania

Reviewed byClara WhitcombReader-facing editorial lead · Updated Apr 25, 2026

State profile

Why the Ruffed Grouse fits Pennsylvania

The Ruffed Grouse feels like a natural fit for Pennsylvania because it belongs to mountain woodland, young forest, and rugged upland cover. Whether you notice it around Allegheny National Forest or in an ordinary neighborhood yard, the species reflects the parts of Pennsylvania people actually see and hear, not a remote corner of the map.

Quick Answer

The state bird of Pennsylvania is the Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus), designated in 1931.

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Why Pennsylvania Chose the Ruffed Grouse

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.

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About the Ruffed Grouse

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.

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Where to See the Ruffed Grouse in Pennsylvania

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.

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Conservation

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.

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Explore the collection

All 50 State Birds

All 50 US states have designated official state birds. The most commonly chosen are the Northern Cardinal and the Western Meadowlark.

Black-capped Chickadee

Black-capped Chickadee

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Pennsylvania state bird?

Good starting points include 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.

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Source citations

How this state-bird page is sourced

State-bird pages separate official-symbol facts, bird data, and editorial prose so a correction can target the right layer.

State designation facts from the KTP state-bird data contract and page data.
Taxonomy, measurements, family, and conservation fields from structured pipeline data.
Editorial prose reviewed against KTP rules for no invented numbers and no field-certainty claims from generated art.

Correction log

Official state-symbol details are corrected at the state-bird data source, then republished into PAGE_DATA.
Bird measurements, family labels, and conservation fields are corrected in the structured species pipeline rather than patched in prose.
Generated prose is revised only after the owning data fields and section contract are confirmed.

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