The greater sage-grouse is a large, round-winged, ground-dwelling bird. It can grow up to 30 inches long and two feet tall, weighing from 2½ to 7 pounds. It has a long, pointed tail with legs feathered to the base of the toes.
Females are mottled brown, black, and white. Males are larger and, in spring, they have a large white ruff around their necks, a yellow eye comb, and bright yellow air sacs on their breasts, which they inflate to show off to females.
Males have a black throat. The feathers on the back, wings, and tail are mostly brown, with some white and black spots. Both sexes have black bellies outlined with white.
Dubois Grouse Days April 26-27!
Sage-grouse live in 11 Western States and two Canadian provinces in sagebrush-steppe habitats between 4,000 and 9,000 elevation.
More than half of the birds' habitat is on public land, and most of that is managed by the BLM.
One of the most unique characteristics of the greater sage-grouse is the ritual used for mating. A lek is a flat, open place where males gather for the purpose of competitive display (strutting) and mating.
Males commonly roost overnight near the lek, and before sunrise, will move to the lek and display. | VIDEO This will continue for a couple of hours following sunrise, March through May.
Since the Lewis and Clark Expedition first recorded seeing the sage-grouse more than 200 years ago, the species has experienced a great decline in population. Fragmentation (breaking a large area up into several unconnected areas) of sagebrush habitats from a number of sources is the main cause of the decline in sage-grouse populations. In 2010, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service determined that the sage-grouse should be listed as endangered.
Sage-grouse reproduce by laying eggs. Female sage-grouse (hens) lay 2 eggs in 3 days' time. Each nest can have 7-9 eggs. Inside the eggs, chicks grow (incubate) for 28 days before they hatch.
LEARN MORE | Download "Seriously Sage-Grouse" activity