{"id":66404,"date":"2020-03-08T06:17:28","date_gmt":"2020-03-08T12:17:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=66404"},"modified":"2025-11-25T17:38:19","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T23:38:19","slug":"greater-sage-grouse-leks-in-march","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/03\/08\/greater-sage-grouse-leks-in-march\/","title":{"rendered":"Greater-Sage Grouse Leks In March"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"TwoTwo male Greater-Sage Grouse facing off at sunrise \u2013 Nikon D810, f6.3, 1\/3200, ISO 6400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

March is a time when my mind wanders to windswept, high country sagebrush steppes where Greater-Sage Grouse will dance, fight and court on their leks as they have done for eons. The pops and whistles that males make when they inflate their yellow air sacs may sound odd but I think the sounds are incredible.<\/p>\n

Have a listen here<\/span><\/a> and you’ll also hear some Horned Larks and a Western Meadowlark as well.<\/p>\n

People should arrive at leks well before the sun rises otherwise the grouse can be disturbed and will fly away.<\/em><\/p>\n

The courtship of these grouse begins before the sun rises and practically all that can be seen at that time is the white feathers of the males necks and chests in the low light. After dawn the activity on the leks can be easily seen and it is mesmerizing.<\/p>\n

\"DisplayingDisplaying Greater-Sage Grouse males \u2013 Nikon D810, f6.3, 1\/2500, ISO 6400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The Greater-Sage Grouse males will face off, spar, fight, and battle for the right to mate with the females. They will also strut, dance and puff up their chests to attract the hens.<\/p>\n

\"CallingCalling Greater-Sage Grouse male \u2013 Nikon D810, f8, 1\/800, ISO 400, -0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The Greater-Sage Grouse hens watch the males perform their courtship displays on the leks and they decide which male they want to mate with.<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Greater-Sage Grouse on a lek in the early morning \u2013 Nikon D810, f8, 1\/800, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

The grouse are sagebrush obligates which means they depend on the sage to live. During the winter they eat the sagebrush to survive until new spring growth appears.<\/p>\n

The gas and oil industries have impacted the grouse populations. That is a fact. Just recently though a judge in Idaho canceled leases for oil and gas production on our public lands which is a win for these charismatic upland game birds and the other sagebrush obligates who depend on the sagebrush sea to survive.<\/p>\n

Judge cancels oil and gas leases on some sage grouse lands in Nevada, Utah and Wyoming<\/span><\/a> – Denver Post<\/p>\n

Judge Voids Trump Oil and Gas Lease Sales on Nearly 1 Million Acres of Sage Grouse Habitat<\/span><\/a> – Center for Biological Diversity<\/p>\n

HUGE WIN for Sage-grouse! Nearly 1 million acres of sage grouse habitat saved from the oil and gas industry!<\/span><\/a> – Western Watersheds Project<\/p>\n

Judge Tosses Oil and Gas Leases on Nearly One Million Acres of Public Lands<\/span><\/a> – EcoWatch<\/p>\n

\"MaleMale Greater-Sage Grouse with his chest puffed up \u2013 Nikon D810, f8, 1\/400, ISO 400, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light<\/span><\/p>\n

I am aching to get up into the high country to photograph Greater-Sage Grouse again and I plan to do that very soon. I’d love to add some photos of these grouse dancing on a snow-covered lek to my galleries.<\/p>\n

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

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a><\/span> to see more of my Greater Sage-Grouse photos plus facts and information about this species.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

March is a time when my mind wanders to windswept, high country sagebrush steppes where Greater-Sage Grouse will dance, fight and court on their leks as they have done for eons.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":164904,"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":[4004,5279,4346,5522,5831,4073,4072,2320,779,4224,9185,9179,4743,4556,3492,3476,4062,5653,9187,5652,4789,4926,9186,4190,9188],"class_list":["post-66404","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-battle","tag-breeding-behavior","tag-breeding-display","tag-breeding-grounds","tag-breeding-season","tag-calling","tag-centrocercus-urophasianus","tag-displaying","tag-early-morning","tag-face-off","tag-facing-off","tag-fight","tag-greater-sage-grouse","tag-grouse","tag-lek","tag-male","tag-mate","tag-pops","tag-puffed-up","tag-sage-grouse","tag-sounds","tag-spar","tag-sunrise","tag-whistles"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/greater-sage-grouse-males-fighting-mia-mcpherson-8357.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-hh2","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":66404,"position":0},"title":"Before Dawn Breaks The Courtship Displays Begin On Greater Sage-Grouse Leks","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 18, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Each year across the western states Greater Sage-Grouse begin to fly into leks on the sagebrush steppe during late winter and early spring to perform their fascinating courtship displays well before the first sign of dawn.","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Greater Sage-Grouse on a high sagebrush steppe, Wayne County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/greater-sage-grouse-lek-male-mia-mcpherson-1408.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/greater-sage-grouse-lek-male-mia-mcpherson-1408.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/greater-sage-grouse-lek-male-mia-mcpherson-1408.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/greater-sage-grouse-lek-male-mia-mcpherson-1408.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":21090,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/03\/29\/travelogue-day-4-more-greater-sage-grouse-and-one-stunning-mountain-bluebird\/","url_meta":{"origin":66404,"position":1},"title":"Greater Sage-Grouse and One Stunning Mountain Bluebird","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 29, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I was stunned and amazed to find not just one Greater Sage-Grouse leks but TWO!","rel":"","context":"In "Birds"","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Male Greater Sage-Grouse in evening light on March 28, 2015, Wayne County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/greater-sage-grouse-portrait-mia-mcpherson-5828.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/greater-sage-grouse-portrait-mia-mcpherson-5828.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/greater-sage-grouse-portrait-mia-mcpherson-5828.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/greater-sage-grouse-portrait-mia-mcpherson-5828.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":82342,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2021\/03\/26\/finding-greater-sage-grouse-away-from-their-leks\/","url_meta":{"origin":66404,"position":2},"title":"Finding Greater Sage-Grouse Away From Their Leks","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 26, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Finding Greater Sage-Grouse away from their leks isn't easy. 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