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|| Greater Sage Grouse
Once abundant throughout
the western United States and some portions of Canada,
the sage grouse have experienced drastic declines and
can now be found in only a handful of areas. Sage grouse
populations have been affected by a multitude of factors
including reduction of habitat through agriculture and
commercial/residential developments, livestock grazing,
fire as well as environmental factors such as weather.
 Sage
grouse are highly dependent on sagebrush for forage,
nesting and protection throughout the year. Ninety-nine
percent of the sage grouse winter diet consists of
sagebrush leaves and buds. At other times of the year,
they eat forbs (small flowering plants). In the summer,
insects are also part of their diet, especially for
young grouse.
Each spring, males and females gather at a lek in late
March through May, as soon as the lek is relatively free
of snow. Leks (mating grounds) are usually open areas
such as meadows, low sagebrush, or even roads surrounded
by sagebrush. Up to a hundred males may gather at a
single lek. Their mating display is one of the most
complex of any grouse. Males spread their plumage, strut
and inflate air sacks located on their breast, producing
a distinctive “popping” sound to attract females and
protect their territory from other males.
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Annual Report of Surveys
for Historic Sage-Grouse Leks on the Idaho National
Laboratory Site
In Idaho, the number of
sage-grouse is relatively high on the Upper Snake River
Plain compared with other locations within the state,
yet these southeastern Idaho populations have also
declined in recent decades. The
Upper Snake
Sage-grouse Local
Working Group reports an average of 40-50 percent
decline in sage-grouse populations based on long-term
averages of lek route data.
 A
large proportion of relatively undisturbed sagebrush
habitat is located on the Idaho National Laboratory
Site. Based on lek census data from 1978-1980,
sage-grouse populations across the INL Site were stable
or increasing.
To properly manage
greater sage-grouse populations, it is essential that
populations are monitored so that appropriate corrective
action can occur if this species begins to decline.
Currently, 26 sage-grouse leks are known to be active on
the INL Site. In addition, there are 61 leks documented
by previous studies or the Idaho Fish and Game (IDF&G)
that were historically active, but for which the current
status is unknown.
Because the only reliable
data for estimating long-term population trends is
information on lek attendance, activity, and
distribution, ESER's long-term objective is to conduct a
multi-year survey of historic leks that were previously
identified to determine if those sites are still used by
sage-grouse.
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2009 Historic Sage-Grouse Lek
Survey Results
Using IDF&G criteria, 15
leks where sage-grouse were detected (including 2 that
were previously undocumented) were designated as active
leks. In addition, six leks were designated as inactive
and 37 as unknown.
Current distribution
of known and historic leks on the INL Site after
completion of the 2009 lek surveys. Historic leks
originally identified by Connelly are red and those
identified by the IDF&G are yellow. Leks known to be
active prior to 2009 are indicated by blue dots whereas
the 15 active leks identified in the current study are
marked with a circled crosshair. The two previously
undocumented leks are identified.
It has been nearly
30 years since most of the historic leks surveyed in
this report have been monitored. Given that all leks
originally identified were once active, the low number
of historic leks with sufficient data to be designated
active may be an indicator of substantial population
declines in recent decades. Decreasing sage-grouse
numbers have been reported in southeast Idaho since the
1970s. However, recent reports from the Upper Snake
Sage-grouse Local Working Group indicate that population
levels are stable. Possibly, sage-grouse numbers
declined throughout the 1980s and 1990s to current
levels, and have remained at the current low levels over
the past decade.
During the spring of
2010, we will again survey all historic leks, including
the two that were newly identified in 2009. Ultimately,
once all active sites are identified, our broader
objective will be to quantify the number of males
visiting leks from year to year to predict population
trends on the INL Site. The ability to compare
contemporary lek activity with historic patterns,
coupled with annual lek census data of all known active
leks, will provide officials valuable information to
make informed decisions regarding the management of this
species on the INL Site.
Annual Report of
Surveys for Historic Sage-Grouse Leks on the Idaho
National Laboratory Site, Quinn R. Shurtliff and Jericho
C. Whiting, December 2009
To read the full report, please go to
www.stoller-eser.com/PDF/Final_Sage_GrouseReport.pdf
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Spotlight on Jericho Whiting,
Biologist for the Stoller ESER Program
I was born in Payson,
Utah. I have always enjoyed wildlife and the outdoors;
during my youth, I spent a great deal of time fishing,
hunting, hiking, and exploring the mountains, streams,
and other areas near my home with my father and
brothers. When I entered college, I wanted to teach
biology; however, I changed majors and completed a MS
degree in Wildlife and Wildlands Conservation, and then
graduated with a Ph.D. degree from Idaho State
University in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in
wildlife ecology, management, and conservation. I
started working at Stoller as a Wildlife Biologist in
December 2008.
My research experience with wildlife is diverse; I have
worked from the frigid North Slope of Alaska to the dry
reaches of the Great Basin Desert. For my MS and Ph.D.
work, I monitored dispersal, migration patterns,
seasonal use of ranges, and reproduction of reintroduced
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. This included capturing
and applying radio
collars
to 90 bighorns to facilitate tracking their movements
with telemetry equipment. I h ave located dens of polar
bears on the North Slope of Alaska, which included
placing video cameras at den sites to monitor activity
and to document behaviors of females with cubs. I also
have experience managing, conserving, and reintroducing
cutthroat trout, as well as other species of fish in the
Great Basin Deserts of western Utah.
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