...that attempted to smash through my patio door this morning? It looks like some sort of juvenile raptor to me.

Currently: a dead one.

Before that: Some type of local Grouse. Maybe a spruce Grouse.

Looks like a grouse to me. Field dress it and fry it in butter

Looks like a ruffed grouse from what I can see.

That's a Ruffed Grouse, fairly common in MN.

Jelly beat me to it.

Thanks. I wonder why it committed Harakiri.

Windex...see the commercials to verify.

Yep, a Ruffed Grouse. One of the tastiest game birds out there. I've eaten a bunch of them.

Jim

As my name would imply, That sir is a red phased ruffed grouse. Beautiful bird.

Check the eyelid, if there is a bit or red on the upper it will help determine the sex

Fantastic eating.

It's a male I think.

Just back from a MI ‘Ruffled Grouse’ hunt a few weeks ago.

There’s a phenomenon that hasn’t been mentioned yet, that’s the ‘crazy flight’ of some grouse, usually in Nov. It’s thought to be part of a ‘dispersal process’. It’s a time your more likely to see one going through a window, as they’ve done at our camp.

https://buffalonews.com/news/o...29-0d5a44fcdc47.html

So besides bird I.D., their behavior can get a little strange latter November. Yes, taste pretty good. I’ve taken some home that were hit by a vehicle in front of me as they flew low across the highway.

A real delicacy.
Beautiful bird.
Population is way down here in Pennsylvania. West Nile Virus I believe has hit them hard. Also, predators have an impact.

quote:

Originally posted by Pyker:
Thanks. I wonder why it committed Harakiri.

Sometimes it just happens. I found a hawk at the base of my picture window one time and of all the birds that I think would not fly into a window, it would be the hawk. And why it didn't break my window is another mystery.

That’s a Ruffed Grouse alright. That glass on your patio door really “Ruffed” it up, but good!

It's an ex-parrot.

Ruffed Grouse.

I've spent many an afternoon totin' a doublegun whilst in pursuit of them.

Ten minutes after smashing into my window it would be on my grill with some shallots and spuds.

I have a solarium on the back of my house. Used to get three or four birds a year kill themselves.
I bought a bunch of stickers of hummingbirds and put them on the glass. Haven't had a birdstrike since.
Kind of ugly, but I didn't like the birds getting killed.

Why don't they swerve when they see the other bird coming at them?

quote:

Originally posted by Texas Bob C.:
Why don't they swerve when they see the other bird coming at them?

They don't want to be a chicken?!

I'll be here all week folks. And remember to tip your bartender and waitstaff.

We call em dinner around here.