Greater Sage-grouse
Photo Copyright Ron Stewart
Centrocercus urophasianus
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank): G3
State (S-rank): S3
Utah Wildlife Action Plan status
- SGCN
External links
Species range
Greater sage-grouse occurs from southern Utah and Nevada north to southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. Longitudinal distribution stretches from central Oregon to western South Dakota (Schroder et al. 2004). It is present in large contiguous expanses of sagebrush habitat at the core of its range, and in more patchily distributed stands at the edges of its range, including Utah. Records for Utah are widely distributed throughout various sagebrush communities including Wyoming sagebrush, low and black sagebrush, and mountain sagebrush.
Habitat
Hayward et al. (1976) wrote: "Originally throughout the state . . . wherever sagebrush or mixed grasslands and sagebrush were prevalent. . . . [Now] restricted to rangelands . . .. At the present time their principal habitat is sagebrush communities where there are small streams or springs." Walters and Sorensen (1983) identified the habitat of this species, both breeding and wintering, in Utah as sagebrush-rabbitbrush (at lower elevations).
Ecology
Males of this species are relatively easy to detect on leks, and biologists have monitored populations for many decades by counting males displaying on leks during the spring. Greater sage-grouse have seen range-wide declines in distribution and abundance over the last century.
In Utah, this species occupies approximately half of its historic distribution. Utah has lek count records from as early as 1959, with statewide counts following an eight to 10-year cycle in population growth and decline. Variations in lek search and lek counting effort confound the calculation of a precise rate of decline. However, overall populations have generally followed a downward trend.
Threats or limiting factors
Threats to greater sage-grouse in Utah are detailed in the Utah Conservation Plan for Greater Sage-grouse. Identified statewide threats include fire, invasive plant species, and pinyon-juniper woodland encroachment. Additional threats are present at varying levels at local populations including mineral development and infrastructure, renewable energy development and infrastructure, transmission corridors and tall structures, excessive predation, improper grazing and vegetation management, and recreation and OHV use.