Columbian Sharp-Tailed Grouse
The spectacular eye combs and air sacs of the male sharp-tailed grouse differentiate the species from their cousins, the prairie chicken.
About This Species
There are two subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse found in Colorado: the plains sharp-tail and the Columbian, or mountain, sharp-tail. Sharp-tailed grouse are in the same genus as prairie chickens. The sharp-tailed grouse has orange eye combs and males have a bright purple air sac that they use to attract mates on the lek.
Threatened and Endangered
State Special Concern
The unique native habitat required by Columbian sharp-tailed grouse is limited. The mid-elevation native mountain shrub/grasslands have been degraded by overuse and development. The diminished range for this species is causing concern among the conservation community and sparking action plans.
Conservation
Bringing Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Back to Colorado
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is involved in an extensive trap-and-translocation effort throughout western Colorado. Biologists are working to restore the native range of the species. Transplanted birds have formed leks, or congregations of males, in Middle Park and the northwest region. So far, these leks are healthy. Colorado Parks and Wildlife conducts studies to determine nesting success and chick survival in northwest Colorado.
Bird Research
Conservation and Research
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse is believed to have a current range of eight states and one Canadian province. They used to live across much of western Colorado but the birds have disappeared from many West Slope counties because of diminished range. Fortunately, the population in northwest Colorado is doing quite well.
The Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse historically inhabited, and currently inhabits where available, native big sagebrush, mountain shrub, and shrub-steppe communities in western North America, but by the mid-1950’s to mid-1960’s many of the native sagebrush communities on private land were converted to agricultural production. The 1985 Farm Bill provided an opportunity for private landowners to enroll highly erodible lands into the CRP. Many CRP planting seed mixes included only 2-3 plant species and provides breeding, summer, and fall habitat. These mixes resulted in herbaceous stands of grass that provide marginal benefits to Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse. Many CRP fields in Colorado once supported high quality habitat, but more recently have declined in quality.
Based on past research, and that some existing CRP habitats are not occupied by Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse, there is building evidence that management efforts could improve existing or expired CRP and that habitat improvements could be beneficial for Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse. This has resulted in management recommendations to improve CRP quality by improving existing CRP that provides low quality nesting and brood-rearing habitat.
These life history traits and relatively small movements facilitate a relatively rapid response to habitat management, ultimately providing managers and researchers an opportunity to work collaboratively to investigate a mechanistic response to landscape level habitat quality improvement prescriptions.
Through the Conservation Reserve Program , private landowners agree to conserve and improve portions of their land for a yearly rental payment. The land enrolled in this United States Department of Agriculture program has helped the Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse regain some of its former habitat. As a result, the species has made a comeback, increasing in distribution and density.
Still, the lands enrolled have lower plant species diversity than optimal Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse habitat, resulting in less productive populations. Thus, wildlife managers would like to improve habitat in order to increase productivity. However, researchers do not have an effective way to evaluate chick and juvenile survival and thus the response of Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse to habitat treatments. Therefore, Colorado Parks and Wildlife initiated this research project to evaluate trapping and transmitter attachment methods to rigorously evaluate chick and juvenile survival of Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse that have been previously used successfully with greater sage-grouse.
With tracking technology, wildlife managers can study the response of the population to habitat treatments. Improved habitat quality could increase densities and occupancy, lead to improvements of unoccupied Conservation Reserve Program lands so that populations can expand, and mitigate impacts related to other habitat loss issues, such as energy development.
More Information:
Physical Characteristics
Weight
Sharp-tailed grouse weigh in at around 1.5 pounds.
Color
They have distinct black V-shaped marks on the breast feathers. Compared to other grouse in Colorado, sharptails have a frosty appearance due to white spotting on the body and wing feathers. The conspicuous white spots on the wing feathers are an easy way to distinguish sharptails from dusky (formerly known as the blue grouse) and sage grouse.Both sexes have inconspicuous crests, and the head and upper body parts are extensively patterned with barring and spotting of white, buffy, tawny brown, and black. The breast and flanks are intricately marked with V-shaped brown markings on a white or buffy background.
Feathers
Feathering occurs to the base of the toes.
Range
Sharp-tailed grouse can be found in NW portions of Colorado.
Habitat
This species uses the high mountain shrub-grassland community and associated edges. Sharptails are most commonly found in high elevation grassland areas interspersed with serviceberry, chokecherry, oakbrush, sagebrush, snowberry, and aspen. Mine reclamation efforts (revegetation using up to 20 different seeds of grasses, forbs and shrubs) and the presence of CRP* fields within their range have also contributed to habitat for the species.
Diet
Shrubs and small trees play an important role in sharp-tailed grouse ecology, especially in winter when they provide both food and cover. Weed-grass types and cultivated crops (wheat and alfalfa) may be utilized in spring and summer. Where available, birds may associate with drainages lined with willows or other riparian shrubs. Unlike sage or dusky grouse, sharptails may utilize agricultural fields and feed on waste grain and associated insects.
Reproduction
Like sage grouse, sharp-tailed grouse breed on leks or traditional strutting grounds.The location of the strutting grounds can be generations old and it is a location where a large aggregation of males gather to engage in competitive display for the right to breed with visiting females. Sharptail leks are typically located on knolls or ridge-tops. An average of 14 birds display and breed on an area of around 100 feet in diameter. Males begin displaying in late March or April. Sharptails can be seen on lekking areas with 100% snow cover. During the breeding season, males exhibit orange eyecombs and purple air sacs which form an integral part of the courtship ritual. Sharptail males "dance" by stomping their feet and running in a circle to attract females. After breeding, females build a ground nest in grass or near shrubs. A typical clutch is 10-12 eggs and the hen incubates for approximately 23 days. After hatching, the chicks are tended by the female. Broods are largely dependent for 6-8 weeks and then disperse.
Threats to Species
- Residential and Commercial Development
- Energy Development and Land Use
Additional Information
*CRP fields - CRP stands for Conservation Reserve Program. This is ground that the Federal government has paid landowners not to farm and to place in a permanent (10-year) grass cover. In late fall and winter, the birds form small flocks and are dependent on shrubs for food and cover. As is common with other grouse species, snow roosting is an important means of thermoregulation during the winter months. In spring the males head toward the leks (see reproduction) and the cycle begins again.