Measurements
Both Sexes
- Length
- 18.1–22 in
46–56 cm - Weight
- 34.9–85.9 oz
990–2435 g
Other Names
- Tétras du Gunnison (French)
Cool Facts
- The Gunnison Sage-Grouse was first described in 2000, and caught the American ornithological scene by surprise. It had not even been recognized as a different subspecies before. Differences in size, coloring, plume size and shape, display behavior, and genetics show this form to be distinct from the Greater Sage-Grouse.
Habitat
Grassland
Sagebrush, sagebrush dominated shrub-steppe.
Food
Plants
Leaves, buds, stems, flowers, fruit, and insects.
Nesting
Nesting Facts
- Condition at Hatching
- Downy and able to follow mother.
Nest Placement
Ground
Behavior
Ground Forager
Multiple males display at group display site, known as a lek.
Conservation
Endangered
Very restricted range and limited population size make this species highly vulnerable.
Credits
- Schroeder, M. A., J. R. Young, and C. E. Braun. 1999. Sage Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). In The Birds of North America, No. 425 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
- Young, J. R., C. E. Braun, S. J. Oyler-McCance, J. W. Hupp, and T. W. Quinn. 2000. A new species of sage-grouse (Phasianidae: Centrocercus) from southwestern Colorado. Wilson Bulletin 112: 445-453.