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Bird

Ruffed Grouse

Bonasa umbellus

Lives in Alabama all year and nests here. Found in 2 of 67 counties, across 9 habitats.

Here
All year
Nesting
Nests here
Range
2 of 67 counties
Habitats
9

At a glance

Group
Birds
Here
All year
Nesting
Nests here
Range
2 of 67 counties
Habitats
9
Habitat models
Year-round

Where it lives

The places its habitat model includes. It is not found everywhere a habitat occurs.

Habitats in Alabama 9

Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 9

Forests and woodlands

Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain.
Year-roundSouthern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Loblolly Pine ModifierNamed place / source context. Shown: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia, a neighboring state.Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain., Unidentified in HFC record, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Streams, rivers and their banks

Blue Spring, Florida
Year-roundCentral Interior and Appalachian Riparian Systems; South-Central Interior Small Stream and RiparianWinslow Homer, Blue Spring, Florida (1890): clear blue spring water under overhanging palms. Shown: Blue Spring, Florida (Winslow Homer, 1890; National Gallery of Art), a neighboring state.Blue Spring, Florida, Winslow Homer, 1890. Public domain. Source record.

Dry forests and woodlands

Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.

Year-roundAllegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland - Hardwood; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Hardwood Modifier; Southeastern Interior Longleaf Pine Woodland; Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest; Southern Ridge and Valley Dry Calcareous Forest; Southern Appalachian Low Mountain Pine Forest

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

Year-roundSouth-Central Interior Large Floodplain - Forest Modifier; Southern Piedmont Large Floodplain Forest - Forest Modifier; Central Interior and Appalachian Floodplain Systems; Central Interior and Appalachian Riparian Systems; Southern Piedmont Small Floodplain and Riparian Forest; South-Central Interior Small Stream and Riparian; South-Central Interior Large Floodplain

Glades, barrens and outcrops on limestone

Open, thin-soil openings and rock on limestone, dolomite or other lime-rich rock, including cedar glades.

Year-roundRidge and Valley Calcareous Valley Bottom Glade and Woodland; Central Interior Highlands Calcareous Glade and Barrens

Moderately dry forests

Forests between dry and moist, often oak-hickory on slopes.

Year-roundSouthern Interior Low Plateau Dry-Mesic Oak Forest

Moist forests

Forests on moist but not wet ground, such as rich slopes and ravines.

Year-roundSouthern Piedmont Mesic Forest; South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest

Tree plantations and managed pine

Planted or intensively managed stands of pine or hardwoods grown for timber; a land use rather than a natural community.

Year-roundDeciduous Plantation; Evergreen Plantation or Managed Pine; Managed Tree Plantation

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

Year-roundBeside its main habitat.Pasture/Hay; Utility Swath - Herbaceous
Other habitats in its models (40)

Land cover, or classes with no habitat page in Alabama. Those recorded in Alabama first, the rest by region.

In Alabama 1

  • Southern Piedmont Glade and Barrens Year-round.
Elsewhere in the South (16)
  • Central and Southern Appalachian Montane Oak Forest Year-round.
  • Central and Southern Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest Year-round.
  • Central and Southern Appalachian Spruce-Fir Forest Year-round.
  • Central Interior Highlands Dry Acidic Glade and Barrens Year-round.
  • Nashville Basin Limestone Glade Year-round.
  • Ouachita Montane Oak Forest Year-round.
  • Ozark-Ouachita Dry Oak Woodland Year-round.
  • Ozark-Ouachita Dry-Mesic Oak Forest Year-round.
  • Ozark-Ouachita Mesic Hardwood Forest Year-round.
  • Ozark-Ouachita Riparian Year-round.
  • Ozark-Ouachita Shortleaf Pine-Bluestem Woodland Year-round.
  • Ozark-Ouachita Shortleaf Pine-Oak Forest and Woodland Year-round.
  • Southern and Central Appalachian Bog and Fen Year-round.
  • Southern and Central Appalachian Cove Forest Year-round.
  • Southern and Central Appalachian Oak Forest Year-round.
  • Southern Appalachian Montane Pine Forest and Woodland Year-round.
Northeast (8)
  • Acadian Low-Elevation Spruce-Fir-Hardwood Forest Year-round.
  • Appalachian Hemlock-Hardwood Forest Year-round.
  • Central Appalachian Alkaline Glade and Woodland Year-round.
  • Central Appalachian Oak and Pine Forest Year-round.
  • Central Appalachian Pine-Oak Rocky Woodland Year-round.
  • Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest Year-round.
  • Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Basin Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest Year-round.
  • Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Dry Hardwood Forest Year-round.
Midwest (4)
  • North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest Year-round.
  • North-Central Interior Dry Oak Forest and Woodland Year-round.
  • North-Central Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest and Woodland Year-round.
  • North-Central Interior Maple-Basswood Forest Year-round.
Land cover and other classes (11)
  • Central Appalachian Riparian - Forest Modifier Year-round.
  • Eastern Great Plains Floodplain Systems Year-round.
  • Harvested Forest - Grass/Forb Regeneration Year-round, beside its main habitat.
  • Introduced Upland Vegetation - Treed Year-round.
  • Northeastern Interior Dry Oak Forest - Mixed Modifier Year-round.
  • Northeastern Interior Dry Oak Forest - Virginia/Pitch Pine Modifier Year-round.
  • Northeastern Interior Dry Oak Forest-Hardwood Modifier Year-round.
  • Southern and Central Appalachian Oak Forest - Xeric Year-round.
  • Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-(Pine) Forest - Mixed Modifier Year-round.
  • Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-Heath Forest - Mixed Modifier Year-round.
  • Southern Ridge and Valley Dry Calcareous Forest - Pine modifier Year-round.

All habitats

Seasons in Alabama

  • Year-round: nests here, in 2 of 67 counties.

Food plants

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Plants matched by genus.

Native plants in these genera 527

Plant genera in its diet records (73)
  • Rosa Fruit and leaves. 52 diet records. 3 native plants in Alabama
  • Rhus Fruit. 46 diet records. 4 native plants in Alabama
  • Cornus Fruit. 36 diet records. 4 native plants in Alabama
  • Populus Buds and leaves. 34 diet records. 2 native plants in Alabama
  • Quercus Seeds and fruit. 34 diet records. 46 native plants in Alabama
  • Corylus Flowers and fruit. 30 diet records. 2 native plants in Alabama
  • Amelanchier Fruit. 26 diet records. 4 native plants in Alabama
  • Ostrya 26 diet records. 1 native plant in Alabama
  • Acer Fruit and buds. 25 diet records. 8 native plants in Alabama
  • Carex Seeds and fruit. 25 diet records. 140 native plants in Alabama
  • Geum Fruit. 24 diet records. 4 native plants in Alabama
  • Desmodium 23 diet records. 19 native plants in Alabama
  • Trifolium Leaves. 22 diet records. 2 native plants in Alabama
  • Polystichum Leaves. 21 diet records. 1 native plant in Alabama
  • Salix Buds and leaves. 20 diet records. 9 native plants in Alabama
  • Cuscuta 18 diet records. 8 native plants in Alabama
  • Vitis Fruit and leaves. 18 diet records. 10 native plants in Alabama
  • Antennaria 17 diet records. 3 native plants in Alabama
  • Symphoricarpos Fruit. 17 diet records. 1 native plant in Alabama
  • Betula Buds and fruit. 15 diet records. 2 native plants in Alabama
  • Toxicodendron 15 diet records. 3 native plants in Alabama
  • Vaccinium Fruit and leaves. 14 diet records. 11 native plants in Alabama
  • Viburnum Fruit. 13 diet records. 12 native plants in Alabama
  • Viola Fruit and leaves. 13 diet records. 25 native plants in Alabama
  • Gaultheria Fruit and leaves. 12 diet records. 1 native plant in Alabama
  • Zea 11 diet records. 0 native plants in Alabama
  • Prunus Seeds and buds. 10 diet records. 8 native plants in Alabama
  • Shepherdia Buds. 10 diet records. 0 native plants in Alabama
  • Kummerowia 9 diet records. 0 native plants in Alabama
  • Rubus Fruit. 9 diet records. 7 native plants in Alabama
  • Fragaria Leaves. 8 diet records. 1 native plant in Alabama
  • Crataegus Fruit and buds. 7 diet records. 37 native plants in Alabama
  • Malus Fruit and leaves. 7 diet records. 2 native plants in Alabama
  • Potentilla Leaves. 7 diet records. 2 native plants in Alabama
  • Smilax Fruit and leaves. 7 diet records. 14 native plants in Alabama
  • Hieracium 6 diet records. 3 native plants in Alabama
  • Kalmia Leaves and buds. 6 diet records. 2 native plants in Alabama
  • Aster Leaves. 5 diet records. 0 native plants in Alabama
  • Carpinus 5 diet records. 1 native plant in Alabama
  • Fagus Buds and fruit. 5 diet records. 1 native plant in Alabama
  • Lonicera Leaves and fruit. 5 diet records. 3 native plants in Alabama
  • Thalictrum 5 diet records. 8 native plants in Alabama
  • Ulmus 5 diet records. 4 native plants in Alabama
  • Arctostaphylos Fruit. 4 diet records. 0 native plants in Alabama
  • Celastrus Fruit. 4 diet records. 1 native plant in Alabama
  • Heuchera Leaves. 4 diet records. 4 native plants in Alabama
  • Ilex Fruit. 4 diet records. 12 native plants in Alabama
  • Rumex 4 diet records. 3 native plants in Alabama
  • Alnus Buds and flowers. 3 diet records. 1 native plant in Alabama
  • Botrychium Leaves. 3 diet records. 0 native plants in Alabama
  • Impatiens 3 diet records. 2 native plants in Alabama
  • Maianthemum Fruit. 3 diet records. 1 native plant in Alabama
  • Pyrola Leaves. 3 diet records. 0 native plants in Alabama
  • Ranunculus 3 diet records. 12 native plants in Alabama
  • Sambucus 3 diet records. 1 native plant in Alabama
  • Arceuthobium Buds. 2 diet records. 0 native plants in Alabama
  • Arctous Fruit. 2 diet records. 0 native plants in Alabama
  • Berberis Fruit. 2 diet records. 1 native plant in Alabama
  • Coptis 2 diet records. 0 native plants in Alabama
  • Epigaea Leaves and fruit. 2 diet records. 1 native plant in Alabama
  • Equisetum Leaves. 2 diet records. 3 native plants in Alabama
  • Mitella Leaves. 2 diet records. 1 native plant in Alabama
  • Oxalis 2 diet records. 8 native plants in Alabama
  • Rhododendron Buds and fruit. 2 diet records. 14 native plants in Alabama
  • Taraxacum Leaves. 2 diet records. 0 native plants in Alabama
  • Tiarella Leaves. 2 diet records. 2 native plants in Alabama
  • Dryopteris Leaves. 1 diet record. 5 native plants in Alabama
  • Hamamelis Fruit. 1 diet record. 2 native plants in Alabama
  • Nyssa Fruit. 1 diet record. 4 native plants in Alabama
  • Polygala 1 diet record. 23 native plants in Alabama
  • Polygonum 1 diet record. 4 native plants in Alabama
  • Thelypteris 1 diet record. 1 native plant in Alabama
  • Vicia Seeds. 1 diet record. 3 native plants in Alabama

Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab), CC0 1.0.

Also found in its main habitats

Its main habitats in Alabama, by how much of its habitat model each one is, with the birds most characteristic of each and the plants that grow wild there. Shared habitat, not food.

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Birds 88

Plants 418

All of floodplain and bottomland forests in Alabama

Dry forests and woodlands

Birds 65

Plants 224

All of dry forests and woodlands in Alabama

Tree plantations and managed pine

Birds 47

Plants 2

All of tree plantations and managed pine in Alabama

USGS Gap Analysis Project habitat models.

Sources