The MeatEater Podcast Ep. 845: Can Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock Be Saved?
Mar 9, 2026
Karl Malcolm, VP of Conservation for the Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society, is a wildlife biologist focused on forest habitat and upland birds. He discusses why grouse and woodcock declined as forests homogenized. He explains ideal early-successional habitat, how timber markets fund large-scale restoration, and how engaging more people can scale conservation work.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Forest Change Not Hunting Is Driving Bird Declines
- Eastern forest bird declines are primarily driven by habitat loss and changing forest structure rather than hunting pressure.
- Karl Malcolm links lost disturbance processes (passenger pigeons, beaver, indigenous fire, bison, elk) to homogenized, shade‑closed forests that no longer support grouse and woodcock.
Diversity Of Age Classes Is Grouse Habitat
- Ruffed grouse and woodcock need a patchwork of forest ages and structure within small areas, not uniform mature forest.
- Karl Malcolm emphasizes young, middle, and old forest juxtaposition plus high stem density and sunlight on the floor for brood rearing and cover.
Lost Ecosystem Engineers Created Today's Trouble
- Pre‑settlement eastern forests were dynamic because many ecosystem engineers and indigenous fire maintained heterogeneity.
- Removing passenger pigeons, beaver, bison, elk and indigenous burning removed recurring disturbances that created early successional habitat.
