North American Grassland Grouse

Grassland grouse once thrived on the Eastern seaboard (the extinct heath hen) to the Pacific coast (the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse). In between were three major species of grassland grouse (the prairie-chickens, the sage-grouse, and the sharp-tailed grouse). Those historic grouse numbered in the millions. All grassland grouse dance during their spring mating musicale, an energized stomp that more resembles a jitterbug than it does “Swan Lake.” The grouse provide their own orchestral accompaniment with a variety of sounds. The boom of a prairie chicken can be heard for a half-mile or...