Ruffed
Grouse

Male ruffed grouse stand on logs or rocks and beat their wings against the air so fast that they create miniature sonic booms, sounding like a muffled motor or heartbeat.

In winter, these birds dive headfirst straight into soft snowdrifts to sleep, using the snow as a blanket to stay warm from cold winds.

They can safely eat bitter or toxic flower buds—such as quaking aspen—that other animals cannot digest.