Wyoming is a stronghold for Sage Grouse populations.  And there are many who are concerned for those populations – up to and including petitions for endangered species status.

One of the things which Sage Grouse are known for is their courtship behavior.  These grouse are strutting.  The males are the big fellows who are puffing, dancing, and making the noise. Less noticeable around the strutting ground, or lek, as it is called, are the females.  Males and females gather at the lek from all around to attract and choose mates.

In the avian (or bird) world, many times the males are brightly colored.  In the grouse world, the colors might not be so pronounced, but their behavior is certainly noteworthy. Late March and earlyApril is the time period when sage grouse enter into this annual ritual.  Interestingly, a grouse’s body condition is at it’s optimum when they begin strutting.

Males lose weight while strutting, and females, of course, lose weight when they lay their eggs. To do this, they actually gain weight during the winter!   This seemingly counter-intuitive fact is an adaptation which is necessary to their biology, and certainly is an interesting fact to know about sage grouse. From the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service, I’m Eric Peterson.