Sharptail Grouse

Description:

Sharptail grouse are about the size of a small, plump chicken. They are mottled brown, white and black above and on flanks. The belly tends to also be mottled but may turn lighter in winter.

Habitat:

Shrubby grasslands.

Notes:

I photographed these birds on a "lek". Males gather on leks each year and claim a small territory within the lek, often only a few square meters in size. Competing males display their fitness by confronting and sometimes fighting with neighboring males as well as engaging in foot drumming. The most fit males claim the inner territories within a lek. Females must sometimes run a gauntlet of lesser males to mate with the males in the lek's center. The first three photos show males facing off against each other. The fourth photo shows a fight in progress. The fifth shows a sharptail with a backdrop of typical habitat.