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Greater Sage-Grouse

Centrocercus urophasianusOrder: GALLIFORMES Family: Turkeys and Grouse (Phasianidae)
Codes: Common Name: GRSG Scientific Name: CENURO ITIS Taxonomic No.: 175855
Near Threatened
 
Greater Sage-Grouse: The male Greater Sage-Grouse has scaled, gray-brown upperparts, pale buff breast, black throat, bib, and belly. Head has yellow combs above eyes. Large, white collar-like patch on breast conceals two yellow air sacs displayed during courtship. Tail feathers are long and pointed.
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Overview

Greater Sage Grouse: Largest North American grouse, has scaled gray-brown upperparts, white breast, black throat, bib, and belly, and yellow combs above eyes. Large, white collar-like patch on breast conceals two yellow air sacs displayed during courtship. Tail feathers are long and pointed.

Range and Habitat

Greater Sage Grouse: Resident from southern Alberta and Saskatchewan south to eastern California, Nevada, Colorado, and South Dakota. Preferred habitats include the open country and sagebrush plains.

Topo Map: Perching-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

"kuk-kuk-kuk"

Interesting Facts

 Like many other grouse species, the Greater Sage-Grouse male plays no role in the raising of the young.

 Males perform a strutting display on dancing grounds known as leks. Traditional lekking grounds may be used for years.

 Although many males may display at a lek, only one or two males get picked by a majority of the females for mating.

 A group of grouse has many collective nouns, including a "chorus", "covey", "drumming", "grumbling", and "leash" of grouse.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Kavita Jhunjhunwala

Splitbar
Range Map for Greater Sage Grouse

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Family Grouse (Phasianidae)_blue
Species Centrocercus urophasianus
Length21 - 30 Inches
Wingspan33 Inches

Greater Sage-Grouse

Greater Sage Grouse: Largest North American grouse, has scaled gray-brown upperparts, white breast, black throat, bib, and belly, and yellow combs above eyes. Large, white collar-like patch on breast conceals two yellow air sacs displayed during courtship. Tail feathers are long and pointed.

● Song: "kuk-kuk-kuk"

● Foraging & Feeding: Greater Sage Grouse: Eats soft plants, primarily big sagebrush, but also forbs and insects.

● Breeding & nesting: Greater Sage Grouse: Six to nine pale green eggs, lightly spotted with brown, are laid in a well-concealed grass-lined ground depression. Incubation ranges from 25 to 27 days and is carried out by the female.

● Similar species: Greater Sage Grouse: Other grouse within range are smaller, browner, and lack long, pointed tails and black bellies.

Flight Pattern

Rises with rapid wing beats.
Greater Sage-Grouse Male Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Greater Sage Grouse: Resident from southern Alberta and Saskatchewan south to eastern California, Nevada, Colorado, and South Dakota. Preferred habitats include the open country and sagebrush plains.
BreedingPromiscuous
PopulationDeclining
MigrationNonmigratory
Weight112 Ounces
Perching-like BodyX
UpperpartsX
Back, rump, hindneck, wings, and crown.
BellyX
The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.
BreastX
The upper front part of a bird.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX