ruffed grouse

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A chickenlike North American game bird (Bonasa umbellus) having mottled brownish plumage and noted for the drumming sounds the male makes with its wings. Also called birch partridge.

Wiktionary

1. n. An American game bird, Bonasa umbellus; the male makes drumming sounds with its wings

GNU Webster's 1913

1. adj. (Zoöl.) a North American grouse (Bonasa umbellus) common in the wooded districts of the Northern United States. The male has a ruff of brown or black feathers on each side of the neck, and is noted for the loud drumming sound he makes during the breeding season. Called also tippet grouse, partridge, birch partridge, pheasant, drummer, and white-flesher.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. valued as a game bird in eastern United States and Canada