CEDAR CITY — The sun hasn’t peaked over the mountains. Its light just touches the long stretch of silver-gray sagebrush, dusting the sky with a hint of color. In a small clearing, greater sage-grouse greet the morning with a seasonal dance — an elaborate show to catch a hen’s eye.
Jason Nicholes, wildlife biologist with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, readies the all-terrain vehicle. Buckskin Valley’s rutted trails are muddy, with hardened snow still covering some sections while water flows through others.
He’s conducting a sage-grouse count. Gathering this data allows the division to calculate the number of adult birds and determine trends within the population, he said, adding that these numbers inform the species’ management plan.
The first lek — a spring congregation of sage-grouse for mating — is nearby. But Nicholes will traverse miles across Buckskin Valley to visit each of its five leks.
While some leks are positioned close to others, Nicholes mostly stays seated on his ATV, explaining that the birds are more likely to flee at the sound of footsteps than the motor’s growl.
As he drives, he keeps a sharp eye on the tall sagebrush, looking for signs of sage-grouse, scaring some into fluttering into the morning sky and sighting others at a distance. One hen stands at the edge of the road, barely visible against her surroundings.
“They have the best camouflage I’ve ever seen,” Nicholes said.
Mallards drift on the surfaces of both vernal and permanent ponds, prairie dogs bark and birds sing morning tunes. Nicholes finds elk tracks following the rugged ATV trail.
The area’s sage-grouse inhabit the valley year-round, Nicholes told Cedar City News. They also likely intermingle with other bird populations nearby, including those in Bear Valley, Dog Valley and possibly as far as Panguitch Lake.
Each year, Iron County’s birds begin “strutting” around the third week in March, continuing until the end of April. The DWR will typically conduct at least three counts within that time, as fewer males will strut early in the season, with their numbers increasing for most of the duration, he said.
An additional count may have been in order for 2023, as the number of birds might not have “peaked out” by early May, Nicholes added.
While some leks appear empty, in others, the males strut or strike each other with their wings. Their tails are fan-like and pointed — a feature that inspired their scientific name Centrocercus urophasianus, derived from Greek. “Kentron” means spiny, “kerkos” means tail and “urophasianus” means a pheasant’s tail, according to Wild About Utah.
Beneath their white breast plumage, male sage-grouse conceal two air sacs. During mating season, they fill these with air, which they thrust out, creating a popping sound as they strut in an elaborate courtship ritual, known as lekking, to attract females, Wild About Utah states. Hens are attracted by the male’s calls, which they can hear from more than 1.5 miles away.
They may roost at a lek multiple times or visit various sites throughout the season, Nicholes said. The hens likely began building their nests in late April and early May.
Chicks will typically hatch between 4-6 weeks from when eggs are laid and the region will likely begin seeing chicks in mid-June, Nicholes said.
“They’ll be little, tiny, little buggers, and then by September, they’ll be a pound,” he said.
Adult hens typically weigh between 2-3 pounds, with males reaching 5-6 pounds. Nicholes said sage-grouse is one of the largest bird species in the area.
To survive the winter, sage-grouse burrow under the snow at the base of the sagebrush, which serves as an important food source, he said.
Last winter, there was higher-than-average snowfall, covering most of the higher-elevation brush, likely pushing the birds to ride out the cold season in a lower valley with exposed sagebrush.
While the Iron County’s sage-grouse population was negatively affected by drought and “bottomed out” approximately two years ago, Nicholes said their numbers are on a “slow, upward trend.”
The increased moisture will likely benefit hens and their chicks by providing ample vegetation and bugs as nutrition, Nicholes said.
“I don’t think (last winter) was harsh enough to do significant damage … I think it’ll give us a little boost,” he said. “And we’ll probably see a population increase next year.”
Statewide counts found that sage-grouse numbers had increased by approximately 36.8% between 2021 and 2022, with over 3,000 male birds reported, according to the DWR’s 2022 Utah Greater Sage-grouse Lek Count Report. However, population changes were inconsistent, with two management areas in decline and nine on an upward trend.
While the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found the birds weren’t warranted for listing under the Endangered Species Act in 2015, greater sage-grouse are considered a species of concern in Utah, according to the division.
Former Gov. Gary Herbert authorized Utah’s Conservation Plan for Greater Sage-Grouse in 2013, a “detailed, scientifically based plan that established goals and measurable objectives for the conservation of greater sage-grouse.” The plan was subsequently reviewed, revised and updated in 2017.
Threats to sage-grouse include invasive plant species that outcompete their food sources and increase wildfire risk, noise pollution that scares or stresses the birds and climate change, which puts their habitat at risk, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service.
Additionally, energy development can provide perches to raptors that feed on sage-grouse, while simultaneously degrading and fragmenting their habitat. Infrastructure puts the birds at risk of injury or death due to collisions with fencing or vehicles.
“Since they fly at dusk and dawn, sage-grouse have trouble seeing wire fences,” the service states. “Striking one can result in injury or death.”
Utah’s plan aims to maintain and increase Utah’s sage-grouse populations and their environments within Sage-grouse Management Areas by addressing “localized threats” that put the species at risk, the division states.
The state will identify high-priority habitat and migration corridors, with at least 5,000 acres protected annually and improve and increase seasonal habitats by 75,000 acres each year, according to the DWR. Population trends will be monitored, and stewards will “implement adaptive management responses” to ensure the species’ viability and stability.
Additionally, the state aims to prioritize sage-grouse habitat during pre-fire attack planning and suppression — “second only to the protection of human life and property.” And will “fund, support and implement critical research that supports the implementation” of the conservation plan.
“With the ongoing commitment, innovation and collaboration of the State of Utah and its many conservation partners, this Plan will continue to conserve sage-grouse and the habitats upon which they depend while still balancing the socioeconomic needs of the people of Utah,” the division states.
Southern Utans can support sage-grouse conservation in various ways, including observing the birds at a distance to avoid scaring them or changing their behavior and installing grouse-friendly fencing, according to Fish and Wildlife.
People should brush off clothes after spending time outdoors to avoid spreading invasive plant seeds, volunteer on public lands and visit sagebrush country to learn more about “this unique western habitat,” Fish and Wildlife states.
Additionally, individuals can buy Duck Stamps, according to the service. From each dollar spent, 99 cents is added to the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund and used to lease or purchase wetlands and wildlife habitats as additions to the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Photo Gallery
Greater sage-grouse strut in the early morning light to attract mates in Buckskin Valley, Iron County, Utah, April 27, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News Greater sage-grouse strut in the early morning light to attract mates in Buckskin Valley, Iron County, Utah, April 27, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News Greater sage-grouse strut in the early morning light to attract mates in Buckskin Valley, Iron County, Utah, April 27, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News Greater sage-grouse strut in the early morning light to attract mates in Buckskin Valley, Iron County, Utah, April 27, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News Greater sage-grouse strut in the early morning light to attract mates in Buckskin Valley, Iron County, Utah, April 27, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News Greater sage-grouse strut in the early morning light to attract mates in Buckskin Valley, Iron County, Utah, April 27, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News Greater sage-grouse strut in the early morning light to attract mates in Buckskin Valley, Iron County, Utah, April 27, 2023 | Photo by Alysha Lundgren, Cedar City News A male greater sage-grouse struts, date and location unspecified | Photo courtesy of the Bureau of Land Management, Cedar City News A bi-state sage-grouse hen blends in with her surroundings, Nevada, March 1, 2010 | Photo courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Cedar City News A male bi-state sage-grouse struts in Nevada, location not specified, March 1, 2010 | Photo courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Cedar City News
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