Spruce Grouse

Canachites canadensis

So tame in remote forests it earned the nickname 'fool hen.' Will let you walk up and deliver in person.

Population: ~11,000,000 mature individuals (Partners in Flight 2024, per BirdLife International/IUCN assessment); North American population trend slightly positive
Habitat: Coniferous boreal forests and taiga; strongly associated with young, dense stands of spruce, pine, or fir with understory shrubs like blueberry.
Fun fact: Spruce Grouse are nicknamed "fool hens" for their remarkable tameness, often allowing people to walk within a few feet of them without flushing.
Range: Northern and western North America — throughout most of Canada and Alaska, with disjunct populations in the U.S. in northern New England, the Adirondacks (NY), the western Great Lakes region (Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota), and montane conifer forests of Montana, Idaho, and parts of Oregon/Washington.
Diet: Largely herbivorous: conifer needles (spruce, fir, pine) dominate the winter diet; in summer/fall adds berries (especially blueberries), green leaves, and fungi. Chicks start on insects and other arthropods before shifting to a plant-based diet.
Size: 0.4 m
Wingspan: 0.56 m
Lifespan: 13 years

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