This is Bird Note.

Imagine this. You're at the edge of a young forest,

especially one dominated by Aspen and Poplar,

and you're hearing this accelerating thumping sound.

What's going on in there? Is somebody starting up an engine?

Well, what you're hearing is a male roughed grouse, performing his drumming display.

He's the size and shape of a large rusty brown chicken, and he's standing on a resonant fallen log in the shelter of a brushy thicket.

He's thumping the air with his wings.

He raises them and, cupping them forward, beats the air,

slowly at first, then faster and faster, creating a reverberating drum roll.

Drumming announces a male's territory and his desire for a mate.

The roughed grouse takes its name from the male's long neck feathers,

which, in display to the female, flex outward to form a thick neck ruff.

The roughed grouse is typically a shy denizen of the forest,

but this time of year, he's a star percussionist in nature's symphony.

He's a star percussionist in nature's symphony.

You can take a peek at a roughed grouse and hear his drumming again by coming to birdnote.org.

I'm Michael Stein.