The Greater Sage-grouse is about 22.1–29.5 inches (56.1–74.9 cm) long and weighs about 4–7 pounds (1.8–3.2 kg). Males are larger than females.
Both male and female Greater Sage-grouse are brownish-gray with gray and white speckles that help them blend into their habitat. They have a black belly, a yellow comb above their eyes, and a long tail made of stiff, pointed feathers.
The male has a black bib on its throat and a white chest. It also has yellowish air sacs on its chest. During courtship displays, these air sacs inflate and make the neck and chest feathers puff outward, helping the male attract a mate.
The Greater Sage-grouse makes its home on open plains and sagebrush plains.
In the winter, most of the Greater Sage-grouse’s diet is made up of the leaves and shoots of the sagebrush. In the spring, the Greater Sage-grouse also eats weeds and grasses.
During mating season, male Greater Sage-grouse gather on a lek (special display area). While they are there, they strut and display their plumage to attract a mate.
The female lays 6-9 eggs in a depression in the ground lined with grass. The nest is usually under a bush or other cover. The female incubates and cares for the chicks.
The chicks hatch in about three weeks and feed themselves soon after hatching. They eat insects for the first few weeks but soon move on to weeds, grasses, and sagebrush. The chicks fledge (develop flight feathers) in about a week.
The Greater Sage-grouse has an average lifespan of 1-1.5 years due to predation. They can live to be 6-9 years old in the wild.
The Greater Sage-grouse doesn’t have a muscular gizzard* with grit in it, and it can’t digest hard foods like seeds.
*A gizzard is a special, super-strong part of a bird’s digestive system that works like teeth, grinding up food. Birds often swallow tiny stones or grit, which help the gizzard crush and break food into smaller pieces.
The Greater Sage-grouse is the largest North American grouse species.
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The Greater Sage-grouse can be found from southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada, south to California, Nevada, Colorado, and New Mexico.
The Greater Sage-grouse population has shrunk due to habitat loss and fragmentation.
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