Birdwatching: Sage Grouse

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The mating rituals of the sage grouse feature a furious dance-off between rival males.
The mating rituals of the sage grouse feature a furious dance-off between rival males.
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“Bird Brains” is Budd Titlow’s fascinating and humorous look at the behaviors and antics of a variety of bird species.
“Bird Brains” is Budd Titlow’s fascinating and humorous look at the behaviors and antics of a variety of bird species.

Taken from the birding adventures of professional wildlife biologist and photographer Budd Titlow, Bird Brains (Lyons Press, 2013) looks at the antics, behaviors, and funny idiosyncrasies of wild birds. Each entry is another tale pulled from hours of birdwatching, where the personality of the various species of birds are on full display. Notorious show-offs, Sage Grouse are the subject of this passage, excerpted from Section 4, “Rocky Mountain Ramblings.”

You can purchase this book from the MOTHER EARTH NEWS store:Bird Brains.

Sage Grouse — Happy Hour on the High Plains

Sometimes Mother Nature provides a perfect microcosm of human life.

Many years ago, I was invited to observe an annual ritual that had all the elements of happy hour at your favorite neighborhood bar. Totally full of themselves, all the males were strutting around in tight circles with their hairless chests puffed out. As they walked, they repeatedly made burping and belching sounds while aggressively posturing toward any other males that came too close to their domains. Meanwhile, all of the females skittered demurely in, out, around, and through all of the absurdly displaying males — acting as if the showboats didn’t exist.

  • Published on Jan 29, 2014
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