Greater Sage-Grouse

Overview

Greater Sage Grouse: Largest North American grouse, has scaled gray-brown upperparts, white breast, black throat, bib, and belly, and yellow combs above eyes. Large, white collar-like patch on breast conceals two yellow air sacs displayed during courtship. Tail feathers are long and pointed.

Range and Habitat

Greater Sage Grouse: Resident from southern Alberta and Saskatchewan south to eastern California, Nevada, Colorado, and South Dakota. Preferred habitats include the open country and sagebrush plains.

INTERESTING FACTS

Like many other grouse species, the Greater Sage-Grouse male plays no role in the raising of the young.
Males perform a strutting display on dancing grounds known as leks. Traditional lekking grounds may be used for years.
Although many males may display at a lek, only one or two males get picked by a majority of the females for mating.
A group of grouse has many collective nouns, including a "chorus", "covey", "drumming", "grumbling", and "leash" of grouse.

The Greater Sage-Grouse inhabits the sagebrush lands in the western United States, and southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada. This bird is a year-round permanent resident, and non-migratory. However, some may move to lower elevations during the winter. They forage for food on the ground, eating insects, sagebrush and other plants. Nests are built under sagebrushes on the ground. Numbers of the Greater Sage-Grouse have declined due to loss of their natural habitat, and is very susceptible to humid climates caused by global warming. The conservation rating of the Greater Sage-Grouse is Near Threatened.