{"id":111244,"date":"2023-03-16T03:43:12","date_gmt":"2023-03-16T09:43:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=111244"},"modified":"2023-03-16T05:36:47","modified_gmt":"2023-03-16T11:36:47","slug":"mating-greater-sage-grouse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/03\/16\/mating-greater-sage-grouse\/","title":{"rendered":"Mating Greater Sage-Grouse On A Wild Windswept Lek"},"content":{"rendered":"

All of these Greater Sage-Grouse images were taken at a windswept lek in south-central Utah in 2015. I have shared closer images of the grouse before. Today I wanted to share photos of them that showed more of the habitat.<\/p>\n

During the breeding season, male Greater Sage-Grouse gather in communal display areas known as leks to perform an elaborate courtship ritual. The males strut and dance around the lek, trying to attract the attention of the females, who quietly observe from the sidelines.<\/p>\n

\"MatingMating Greater Sage-Grouse on a lek \u2013 Nikon D810, f6.3, 1\/1250, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

Once a female has chosen a mate, the two will perform a brief courtship dance before mating. The female will then lay her eggs in a shallow depression in the ground, and the male will continue to display at the lek, trying to attract other females.<\/p>\n

The Greater Sage-Grouse courtship display is one of nature’s great spectacles. To be there, to see, and hear them displaying<\/span><\/a> on the lek is incredibly fascinating. For me, it felt magical to be with the grouse.<\/p>\n

\"GreaterGreater Sage-Grouse after mating \u2013 Nikon D810, f6.3, 1\/1250, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The wild and windswept lek where I photographed these grouse is part of the Sagebrush Sea or Great Basin, which spans over 400,000 square miles in Western North America. It features high-elevation deserts, rugged mountain ranges, and vast sagebrush steppe.<\/p>\n

\"MorningMorning light on a Greater Sage-Grouse lek \u2013 Nikon D810, f6.3, 1\/1250, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

This unique ecosystem supports diverse flora and fauna, such as pronghorn antelope, mule deer, bighorn sheep, black bears, mountain lions, and various bird species, including sage grouse, golden eagles, and burrowing owls. The sagebrush plant, dominating much of the sagebrush steppe, provides critical habitat for many animals, while other plants like bitterbrush, rabbitbrush, and wildflowers also thrive here.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Greater Sage-Grouse courtship display on a lek \u2013 Nikon D810, f6.3, 1\/2000, ISO 640, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The Greater Sage-Grouse lek is a marvel of nature. It is a reminder of the incredible adaptations that animals can make to survive in even the harshest of environments. The sagebrush sea and the Greater Sage-Grouse that inhabit it are forever embedded in my memory.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Greater Sage-Grouse photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

During the breeding season, male Greater Sage-Grouse gather in communal display areas known as leks to perform an elaborate courtship ritual.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":111231,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,2319,26,2486],"tags":[4004,6957,2320,2158,4070,4556,3492,3476,4062,4099,3944,4789,5186,165,401,30,4562],"class_list":["post-111244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-greater-sage-grouse","category-utah","category-wayne-county","tag-adult","tag-aquarius-plateau","tag-centrocercus-urophasianus","tag-courtship-display","tag-female","tag-greater-sage-grouse","tag-grouse","tag-lek","tag-male","tag-morning-light","tag-plateau","tag-sage-grouse","tag-sagebrush-sea","tag-spring","tag-upland-game-birds","tag-utah-2","tag-wayne-county"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/greater-sage-grouse-lek-mia-mcpherson-6620.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-sWg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":51282,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2018\/03\/18\/before-dawn-breaks-the-courtship-displays-begin-on-greater-sage-grouse-leks\/","url_meta":{"origin":111244,"position":0},"title":"Before 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