Ruffed grouse Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun valued as a game bird in eastern United States and Canada
    partridge; Bonasa umbellus.

WordNet

Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.), a North American grouse (Bonasa umbellus) common in the wooded districts of the Northern United States. The male has a ruff of brown or black feathers on each side of the neck, and is noted for the loud drumming sound he makes during the breeding season. Called also tippet grouse, partridge, birch partridge, pheasant, drummer, and white-flesher.

Webster 1913