Ruffed grouse in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada

© Jim Cumming/Getty Image

A fool's hen?

Various types of forest grouse are sometimes rather unkindly referred to as 'fool hens' because they don't fly away when approached by humans. In its northernmost habitat in Canada, the ruffed grouse pictured here is more likely to behave a little more ‘foolishly’, sitting and looking at people as they approach. But further south, they are more wary and fly off at the slightest sign of movement. And they can be quite the acrobatic fliers when needed, flying in short spurts and making sharp twists and turns as they navigate thick forests.