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Idaho Fish and Game

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Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse Management Plan Now Available

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Male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse performing courtship display on lek (Photo by C. W. Hendricks/IDFG)

The 10-year management plan for Columbian Sharp-tailed grouse is now available online.

Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus, CSTG) are a medium-sized, gallinaceous upland game bird with a light brown appearance, pointed tail, and conspicuous white spots on the wings. They are 1 of 6 extant subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse in North America and are an important upland game species to the sportsmen and women of Idaho. They currently inhabit portions of British Columbia, Washington, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once considered the most abundant upland game bird in the Pacific Northwest, but now occupy 5% of their historical range in the U.S. Habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation are primary causes for the decline and remain threats across remaining occupied range.