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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Greater sage-grouse

Region 6 Mountain Prairie Region

The greater sage-grouse ( C e n

t ro

ce r

c u

s uropha s ianu s ) a candidate for listing under

the Endangered Species Act. The Servicehas determined that proposing the species for

protection is precluded by the need to takeaction on other species facing moreimmediate and severe extinction threats.

De s c riptionGreater sage-grouse or commonly known as:sage hen, sage fowl, sage cock, sage

chicken, heath cock and heath hen. Is alarge, ground-dwelling bird, up to 30 incheslong and 2 feet tall, weighing from 2 to 7

pounds. It has a long pointed tail with legsfeathered to the base of the toes. Femalesare mottled brown, black, and white coloringwhich serves as a camouflage from

predators. Males are larger and morecolorful than females with feathers aroundthe neck and bright yellow air sacs on their

breast, which they inflate during their

mating display. The birds are found atelevations ranging from 4,000, to over 9,000feet and are dependent on sagebrush for cover and food. The greater sage-grouse hasan average life span of 1 ½ years, however they have been seen to live up to 9 years.

Loc ationCurrently, greater sage-grouse are found inWashington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, NorthDakota, Eastern California, Nevada, Utah,Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming, and theCanadian Provinces of Alberta andSaskatchewan. Greater sage-grouse occupyapproximately 56% of their historical range

Die tOne of the most interesting aspects about thegreater sage-grouse is its nearly completereliance on sagebrush. Throughout much of the year, adult sage-grouse rely onsagebrush to provide roosting cover andfood. Sagebrush is a group of woody shrubswith silvery leaves that stay green all year long. Sagebrush provide materials for

nesting and associated plants provide high- protein insects for food, a critical diet for chicks in their first month of life. In winter,over 99 percent of their diet is sagebrushleaves and buds. These birds cannot survivein areas where sagebrush no longer exists.

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U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Greater sage-grouse

Region 6 Mountain Prairie Region

Re produ c tionDuring the spring breeding season, malesage-grouse gather together and performcourtship displays in areas called leks (alsoknown asrelatively open sites surrounded by denser sagebrush. These leks which may be aslarge as a football field are used for manygenerations of sage-grouse. Males defendindividual territories within leks, by struttingwith tails fanned and emitting drummingsounds from the air sacs on their chests toattract females. The mating seasongenerally begins in March, but ultimatelydepends on weather conditions. Females laya clutch of 6-9 eggs from mid March to mid-May. Sage-grouse hens raise one brood in aseason, and re-nesting is uncommon.

Thre at s These birds cannot survive in areas wheresagebrush no longer exists. The distributionof greater sage-grouse has contracted, mostnotably along the northern and northwestern

periphery and in the center of the historicrange due to loss of sagebrush habitat. Asage brush community may take years torecover from disturbance and some rangemanagement practices. Greater sage-grouse

populations are negatively affected byenergy development activities (primarily oil,gas, and coal-bed methane); especially thosethat degrade important sagebrush habitat,even when mitigative measures areimplemented. Impacts can result from directhabitat loss, fragmentation of importanthabitats by roads, pipelines and power lines,and direct human disturbance. The negativeeffects of energy development often add tothe impacts from other human development,resulting in declines in greater sage-grouse

populations. Other important factors in the

plant species.

Rec ove ryFish and Wildlife Service joined with theWestern Association of Fish and WildlifeAgencies (WAFWA), representing all of theWestern state wildlife agencies, and severalother federal agencies in 2006 to develop theGreater Sage-Grouse ComprehensiveConservation Strategy. The release of thisstrategy marked a true turning point,enabling a shift from conservation planningto conservation implementationincorporating adaptive management

principles to inform and guide futuremanagement practices. The Service has alsoworked closely with the NRCS indeveloping conservation opportunities on

private lands through their sage-grouseinitiative.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceRegion 6PO Box 25486Denver Federal Center Denver, Colorado 80225

For State relay serviceTTY / Voice: 711

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Servicehttp://www.fws.gov

March 2011

Prepared by Walter Macias