Did You Know? This Poisonous Bird Calls Michigan Home

I love living in Michigan, we have lakes, great people, and amazing food. Another thing I love about the state? It's safe from ultra-dangerous critters, there's no fear of sharks, poisonous dart frogs, or alligators.

So, when Bio Explorer released a list of the top 10 most poisonous birds, I wasn't expecting any of them to be inhabitants of Michigan. But here we are with a bird on that list.

The bird in question is actually quite cute and seemingly non-threatening. It is no bigger than your average American crow. The poisonous bird is called a ruffed grouse, and they reside in young forests in North America (including Michigan) and all of Canada's Providences.

Why are Ruffed Grouse Poisonous?

The ruffed grouse is one of the most widely spread game birds.

In the past, many people got sick from eating them, especially in late winter. Symptoms included dizziness, vomiting, and even temporary blindness. These poisoning puzzled doctors for years. It wasn’t from bacteria, like food poisoning usually is, because it happened in cold weather when bacteria are less common. Instead, it’s thought the grouse sometimes eat plants that are harmless to them but poisonous to people, like sheepshead laurel.

Luckily, no recent cases have come up documenting grouse-related intoxications. People today can enjoy and consume ruffed grouse but do so cautiously.

Personally, I will just continue to enjoy these birds from a distance, after all, they are super cute.