Diet Grouse chicks begin their lives by feasting on insects and other invertebrates, but they will also eat plant shoots and young leaves. And they won't pass up small frogs or anything else that might fit in their beaks. Young grouse, like domestic chickens, are omnivores. As summer progresses they include flowers, berries and seeds in their diet, and insects become less important. Adult grouse eat the same types of food, but rely less on insects than the chicks, which have a much greater need for the proteins contained in animal foods. Female grouse probably eat more animal foods in spring when they are in need of more protein to produce eggs. By winter's onset, the now-grown chicks and adult birds are left with a sparse fare. Birds that haven't fattened up well before entering winter will have a hard time. The buds and catkins (the flower-like structures of birch and willow families) of woody plants are their mainstay until spring returns. Buds from birch and aspen trees, as well as willow and many other shrubs are important winter foods. Throughout the winter months it's common to see ruffed grouse high up in the thin branches of trees, or perched precariously in slender shrubs, picking off buds to eat. Though they do find some buds and the occasional dried berry at ground level. Spillage from bird feeders can provide grouse with extra food, too. They seem to prefer larger items such as sunflower seeds or cracked corn to the small millet-type seeds though. Grouse meet their needs for water with dew, rain droplets and moisture in their food.