What does sage-grouse look like?
Sage-grouse are mottled gray-brown with a black belly. Males have a black head and throat. The breast has a fluffy white ruff that, during displays, surrounds a pair of inflatable, yellow air sacs. Females have a dusky cheek patch emphasized by white markings behind the eye.
Is a sage hen a grouse?
The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), also known as the sagehen, is the largest grouse (a type of bird) in North America. Its range is sagebrush country in the western United States and southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada.
How many sage-grouse are left?
The total population of greater sage-grouse is estimated between 200,000 and 400,000, while there are less than 5,000 Gunnison sage-grouse remaining.
What state has the most sage-grouse?
Wyoming
Wyoming holds 38% of the world’s population of greater sage grouse which live only in the western U.S. and parts of Canada. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2015 considered protecting the species under the Endangered Species Act but found that unnecessary.
Where can you see sage-grouse?
The 11 western states with sagebrush-steppe habitat and sage grouse are: Oregon, Washington, California (northern), Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, North and South Dakota.
Where can you find sage-grouse?
Today, sage grouse inhabit the sage steppe ecosystem that covers 186 million acres in parts of Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, South Dakota, and North Dakota, as well as the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
How big is a sage-grouse?
4.2Â lbsGreater sage-grouse / Mass
Why are sage-grouse protected?
Why They Matter Sage-grouse are indicators of healthy, intact sagebrush habitat. The protection of sage-grouse impacts the other species that share the same habitat, such as pronghorn and songbirds.
What happened sage-grouse?
As many as 16 million Greater Sage-Grouse once occurred across 297 million acres of sagebrush grasslands in the West. Today, the sagebrush biome and grouse populations continue to decline.
Why does sage-grouse not have gizzards?
Unlike its relatives, sage-grouse have a thin-walled, non-muscular gizzard that reflects its dietary dependence on soft sagebrush leaves.
What is a group of sage-grouse called?
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.
Can sage-grouse fly?
Greater Sage-Grouse are strong, fast fliers (up to 50 mph in level flight), but endurance is not a strong suit. Sustained flights rarely exceed a few miles. Most of their movement is on foot, typically averaging less than a mile per day.