Watch the Sage Grouse Strut!

Found across the western United States, the sage grouse population has declined significantly—in Wyoming alone, the population has decreased an estimated 70% in the last 50 years.

The Fund has worked on several projects that ensure the protection of sage grouse habitat in the Green River Valley of Wyoming. With our partners, we completed the largest conservation easement in the Green River Valley on more than 2,000 acres of a family-owned working ranch—known as the MJ Ranch—southeast of Boulder. We also led a group of partners in the protection of 1,042 acres of critical sage grouse habitat on Cottonwood Ranches, a working cattle ranch southwest of Daniel, Wyoming. The ranch land contains some of the highest quality sage grouse habitat in the Green River Valley—in a single visit more than 250 sage grouse were observed on the property.

Watch the sage grouse strut!

Video and text (bottom) courtesy of Gail Patricelli, UC Davis

Male greater sage-grouse strut displays on a lek near Hudson, Wyoming USA. During the spring, males gather on breeding grounds, called leks. Males perform strut displays to court females and define their display territories on the lek. The "burp" sounds occur when males inhale or exhale air from the vocal sacs on their chests. A few attractive males will mate with almost all of the females who visit the lek, and most males will not mate at all. Females raise the young on their own.