>I live in Minnesota, and although it may not be correct, we all call them "prairie chicken", even though it's the same ruffed grouse ! > -Heather Some notes on Grouses and their pals ... The Ruffed will come off the grasslands and is found in deciduous forests; the Spruce Grouse is found in non-deciduous forests, and both would have been within the common experience of Anishinaabeg ( Tom - the Spruce Grouse may be at the heart of the Baraga entry ? ). There is also a Sharp Tailed Grouse found in a narrow range across the UP / Manitoulin where habitat is grassland / aspen -- will overlap some with Ruffed, but is smaller & darker. The Prairie Chickens -- there are Greater and Lesser species -- are grassland birds of much narrower range and only the Greater would have been in Anishinaabeg experience, and only in small habitats west of the lakes. There is a well-established range in central Wisconsin even today. The fact that some of these birds are frequently cross-identified in normal conversation is pretty good indication, I think, that it is reasonable to think that Baraga was referring to Grouse rather than partridge (which wasn't introduced) or Prairie Chicken (which had such a narrow range). regards - rdw