Our backyard borders on some bush / woods / forest – whatever you want to call it. When I looked out the window a week ago, I spotted a larger bird in one of the trees. It was a partridge, or a ruffed grouse as it is also known. The proper name is Bonasa Umbellus. I don’t hear anyone calling it that around here.
Partridges in our area are brown in colour with some interesting markings. They like to eat a mixture of vegetation: needles, buds of coniferous trees, berries, insects. They have also been seen eating crabapples, snakes and lizards.
When I was young, we would go partridge hunting with my father. We had to be very quiet as he walked along with us following him. Often we didn’t know the partridge was there until it suddenly flew up in front of us. They are good to eat.
They are basically ground dwellers, but will also climb around in trees, especially when they are looking for buds to eat. Their lifespan may reach to 7 or 8 years. Apparently there is a record of one living to 11 years old.
