Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 22–29.5 in
56–75 cm - Weight
- 49.4–102.3 oz
1400–2900 g
Other Names
- Tétras des armoises (French)
Cool Facts
- 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.
- Although many male Greater Sage-Grouse may display at a lek, only one or two males get picked by a majority of the females for mating.
Habitat
Grassland
Foothills, plains, and mountain slopes where sagebrush is present.
Food
Plants
Leaves, buds, stems, flowers, fruit, and insects.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Clutch Size
- 6–13 eggs
- Condition at Hatching
- Downy and able to follow mother.
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Ground Forager
Multiple males display at group display site, known as a lek.
Conservation
Near Threatened
Populations declining; has disappeared from a number of states and provinces.
Credits
- Schroeder, M. A., J. R. Young, and C. E. Braun. 1999. Sage Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). In The Birds of North America, No. 425 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.