Spruce Grouse Fledgling

As anthropogenic activities increasingly disturb ecosystems, it is important to determine how wildlife is impacted. This photo was taken during field work for the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas-3--a project aimed at understanding the temporal differences in distribution and abundance of Ontario's breeding birds. After inadvertently flushing the mother, I discovered this little spruce grouse (Falcipennis canadensis) fledgling tucked away. Observing this fledgling confirms spruce grouse breeding for this area and contributes to the growing database of bird breeding records.
A tiny yellow, gold and black bird  standing in grass