When male grouse court the hens during mating season, they put on one of the most amazing shows of any wild creature. They put on a kind of dance, usually beginning before sunrise, and sometimes they will fight each other fiercely. One male stands on a stump or log where he fans his tail out and digs his claws into the wood, and then he begins “drumming.” He makes this loud drumming noise by beating his wings vigorously, while his body feathers are puffed out.
The woods echo with this noise that almost sounds like thunder, repeated time after time. Soon other males come to investigate, and they also begin “drumming.” It is not long before this commotion attracts the hens to come observe these handsome males with their grand display of feathers, the drumming of their wings, and the stamping of their feet.
For the next part, the males put on a lively dance, some circling to the right and some to the left, while others just run around in any direction. As the dance gets livelier, the frenzied birds start leaping into the air, bodies and feathers puffed out, and occasionally jumping overtop one another.
The hens, excited by this grand display, get into the dance as well, leaping into the air with the males, then lowering their heads and stretching their wings to the ground. They all make quite a display, stamping their feet, rattling tail feathers, running and jumping, something like an exaggerated war dance.
One by one, the males eventually leave the dance arena, bowing gracefully to a female which has been attracted to him. When the show is over and choices of mates have been made, these otherwise-normal birds begin building nests to raise families.
In the world of wildlife, there are many ways in which a male and female are attracted to one another, but perhaps this extraordinary performance of grouse outdoes all others. Actually it is another reminder of the pleasure God the Creator had in making a world with so many interesting things in it. His voice in the opening Bible verse is a message that we should be glad to observe when we see how wondrous His ways are.
Have you heard His loving voice inviting you to come to Him and accept Him as your Saviour? That invitation is given many times in the Bible. One invitation says, “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)).
ML-09/19/1999