Gettin’ Lek-ky: A look at the unique and peculiar lives of SW Idaho’s sharp-tailed grouse

Anyone who’s ever taken a drive along Idaho Highway 95 knows what sagebrush country looks like. It’s yellowish-brown, spans as far as the eye can see and often appears completely void of life upon first glance. But have another look — pull out the binoculars if you need them — and after a while, a whole world of fauna comes to life amidst the grasslands. 

For Idaho Fish and Game biologists in Southwest Idaho, there’s one particular upland game bird species of note, hiding in plain sight within the bunchgrass. Every spring, they show off their best dance moves to hopefully attract a mate. The spectacle, one of the most unique performances put on by the animal kingdom, signifies the first chapter of the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse’s story. 

“Sharp-tails are such a fascinating bird, but they don’t get near the attention that sage grouse do,” said Nathan Borg. Borg is one of Fish and Game’s regional biologists who drives around Southwest Idaho’s grasslands every spring to locate and count populations of sharp-tailed grouse.

If you’re a little surprised to hear of a population of sharp-tails in Southwest Idaho, you’re not alone. While Idaho’s Southeast corner generally hosts most of the state’s Columbian sharp-tailed grouse populations, there is a tiny cluster of birds located just east of the state’s Oregon border near the town of Midvale. 

Columbian sharp-tailed grouse are a medium-sized, upland game bird with a light brown appearance, pointed tail and conspicuous white spots on the wings. They are 1 of 6 living subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse in North America and are an important upland game species to the sportsmen and women of Idaho. The Columbian subspecies was first reported by Lewis and Clark in 1805.

Once considered the most abundant upland game bird in the Pacific Northwest, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse now only occupy less than 5% of their historic range in the U.S. and approximately 60% of the remaining populations are found in Idaho. Research shows that the primary causes for the decline are habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation of land. 

Idaho is unique in the fact that it still has healthy enough populations of Columbian Sharp-tailed grouse to support some hunting opportunity. Hunts occur in the Southeast and Upper Snake regions of the state and run Oct. 1-31 with a 2-bird daily limit.

For sharp-tailed grouse to thrive, they need a lot of wide-open spaces and habitat comprised of native bunchgrass and shrub-bunchgrass communities. Rangelands typically offer the full spectrum of the bird’s needs, which is where Borg’s lek surveys lead him.

During spring, male sharp-tailed grouse gather on traditional breeding areas called leks or dancing grounds. Males go through elaborate courtship displays and vocalizations to attract a female for breeding and defend their territory on the lek from other males.

“Imagine waking up at first light and dancing and fighting for the better part of 2 hours. Now do this every day for 6-7 weeks and you get a glimpse into how male sharp-tails spend their spring,” said Borg.

This courtship routine can begin as early as mid-March and sometimes carries on into May. After a successful endeavor, chicks will hatch in late May or early June.

Fish and Game biologists count Columbian sharp-tailed grouse at leks each spring. Leks can be as few as 2 birds but there are some in the state with more than 50 males in attendance. 

“Lek surveys, along with harvest data, allow us to keep a finger on the pulse of the population,” said Borg. Not all leks get counted every year but Fish and Game has documented 356 occupied leks since 2017. 

So, if you find yourself in Idaho’s grasslands during the spring, keep a sharp eye and you might get to witness a courtship display unlike any you’ve seen before.