What does sage-grouse eat?

Do greater sage grouse nest in sagebrush?

Greater sage-grouse disperse to areas surrounding the leks for nesting. In a study of habitat selection by male greater sage grouse in central Montana during breeding season, sagebrush height and canopy cover at 110 daytime feeding and loafing sites of cocks were recorded.

Do Sage Grouse fly in winter?

Some sage grouse may be residents throughout the year, when they find favorable conditions. Other birds fly between winter, nesting, and summer areas. With their heavy bodies, sage grouse tend to hopscotch across the landscape — flying then landing then flying again — or sometimes even just walk along.

What is another name for a sage grouse bird?

A Bird By Many Names. When you hear the term “sage grouse,” it’s usually in reference to the greater sage-grouse. Other common names you might hear for this bird include: sagehen (mascot of Pomona College and Pitzer College in California), sage cock, or sage chicken.

What kind of habitat do sage grouse live in?

Habitat. Greater Sage-Grouse live only on the sagebrush steppe of western North America, and they use several types of sagebrush habitat in different parts of the year. They usually nest in areas with relatively dense cover from big sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata ), although they also use areas with rabbitbrush, greasewood, and grassy areas.

What kind of bird is a sage-grouse?

Click here to learn more about Gunnison sage-grouse. Sage grouse are part of the family called Phasianidae. They are closely related to other species of grouse, as well as prairie chickens, wild turkeys, pheasants, partridges, and old world quail.

Do sage grouse puff their tails?

Dozens of male Greater Sage-Grouse puff their chests and fan their starburst tails like avant-garde turkeys. They inflate bulbous yellow air sacs and thrust with their heads to produce weird pops and whistles. The rest of the year these birds melt away into the great sagebrush plains that are their only home.

What is the sagebrush habitat of the greater sage-grouse?

Greater Sage-Grouse live only on the sagebrush steppe of western North America, and they use several types of sagebrush habitat in different parts of the year. They usually nest in areas with relatively dense cover from big sagebrush ( Artemisia tridentata ), although they also use areas with rabbitbrush, greasewood, and grassy areas.

Where do sage grouse live in the US?

The greater sage-grouse is a signature species of the sagebrush steppe, where they depend on sagebrush plants for food, cover, and roosting. The bird’s range across the American West includes California, Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Isolated populations are also found in Washington State.

When do sage grouse go away for the winter?

From late August to December most sage grouse are slowly flying and walking toward their winter range, places with less snow and plentiful sagebrush for food and cover. Most birds have left their summer ranges by October.

What does a grouse bird look like?

The largest of all grouse in North America, sage grouse males are nearly twice the size and weight of females. Both sexes have small heads and long tails with black bellies and clean white underwings, easily spotted in flight.

What are the different types of sage grouse?

Sage grouse are divided into two separate species: Greater sage-grouse ( Centrocercus urophasianus) and Gunnison sage-grouse ( Centrocercus minimus ). The greater sage-grouse species also includes the Bi-State sage grouse, a geographically distinct sub-population that lives along the California/Nevada border.

What is another name for a grouse?

Grouse. Grouse, any of a number of game birds in the family Tetraonidae (order Galliformes). In addition to species called grouse, the group includes several birds known by particular names, such as the capercaillie and prairie chicken ( see below) and the ptarmigan. The order Columbiformes contains the sandgrouse.

What is the habitat of a sagebrush grouse?

Habitat. Sage-grouse are emblematic of the sagebrush steppe of the intermountain West, which is their only habitat. They are widespread across the sagebrush plains but are sensitive to disturbance. In early spring they gather on patches of open ground known as leks, where males display to females.

Where do sage grouse hens nest?

The key lies in proximity to nesting habitat. Sage grouse hens look for sagebrush that’s typically from 29 to 80 cm high (1 to 3 feet high). They scrape out a hollow for a nest under the tallest sagebrush within a stand. The more hidden the nests are the better chance of the chicks surviving.

What does a sage grouse look like?

Get Instant ID help for 650+ North American birds. The Greater Sage-Grouse is a large grouse with a chubby, round body, small head, and long tail. Males change shape dramatically when they display, becoming almost spherical as they puff up their chest, droop their wings, and fan their tail into a starburst.

When is the best time to see greater sage-grouse?

The best way to see Greater Sage-Grouse is to visit a lek before dawn during the late winter and early spring (March to May). Leks can be very sensitive to disturbance, and some leks are closed to the public.

How do sage grouse raise their babies?

Like many other grouse species, the Greater Sage-Grouse male plays no role in the raising of the young. Males display on dancing grounds known as leks. Females visit the leks to obtain matings, and then go off to raise their brood by themselves. Traditional lekking grounds may be used for years.

What is the breeding habitat of the greater sage grouse?

Productive breeding habitat is sagebrush steppe with a diverse herbaceous understory, and springs or wet areas that retain green vegetation in late summer for rearing of growing chicks. Male and female greater sage-grouse gather into flocks in winter, as do hens without broods in early summer.

Do sage grouse eat sagebrush in winter?

Sage grouse in winter must find sagebrush to survive – switching to a sagebrush leaf diet entirely. The birds move to areas with sagebrush that covers approximately 10 to 40 percent of the range. Where snow is a factor, it’s important that sagebrush be tall enough for the plants to be accessible.

What do sage-grouse birds eat?

The Greater Sage-Grouse reside in warm, dry, grasslands, as sagebrush, which grows in the described area, is their main food source. Although young and adult birds will feed on other plant species and some insects in the summertime, sagebrush consists of 47 to 60% of the adult bird’s diet in the summer and 100% in the winter.

What is the largest sage grouse in North America?

The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is the largest grouse (a bird species) in North America. Its range is sagebrushcountry in the western United States and southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada.