Centrocercus
This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2015) |
Sage-grouse | |
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Adult male greater sage-grouse | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Galliformes |
Family: | Phasianidae |
Tribe: | Tetraonini |
Genus: | Centrocercus Swainson, 1832 |
Type species | |
Tetrao urophasianus[1] Bonaparte, 1827
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Species | |
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Greater sage and Gunnison grouse ranges[2][3] |
Sage-grouse are grouse belonging to the bird genus Centrocercus. The genus includes two species: the Gunnison grouse (Centrocercus minimus) and the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). These birds are distributed throughout large portions of the north-central and Western United States, as well as the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.[4] The International Union for Conservation of Nature classified the C. minimus species as
Names
The
Sage grouse are also collectively known as "sagehen," "sage grouse," "sage cock," "sage chicken," or "cock of the plains."[7]
History
Sage grouse have been widely recognized in Native American culture for some time. [8] The animals were a part of pre-columbian diets and were represented in certain traditional ceremonies, as well. Indeed, Sage Grouse previously inhabited most of what became the western United States, with ranges in 16 different states.[9]
In their day, Lewis and Clark were credited with the 'discovery' of five gallinaceous birds in addition to the sage grouse—the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, the dusky grouse, Franklin's grouse, the Oregon ruffed grouse, and the mountain quail; they were the first to widely spread knowledge about these birds to European settlers.[10]
US military issues
In September 2016, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) stalled in
Species
There are two species:
Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
---|---|---|---|---|
Gunnison sage-grouse
|
Centrocercus minimus Young, Braun, C, Oyler-McCance, Hupp & Quinn, 2000 |
southwestern Colorado and extreme southeastern Utah |
Size: Habitat: Diet: |
EN
|
Greater sage-grouse | Centrocercus urophasianus (Bonaparte, 1827) Two subspecies
|
western United States and southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada. |
Size: Habitat: Diet: |
VU
|
The Mono Basin population may represent a third species.
Anatomical features
Males of C. urophasianus are the largest
Courtship and mating
Centrocercus species are notable for their elaborate courtship rituals. Each spring males congregate on
Offspring
Hens build
Chicks can walk as soon as they are hatched and are able to fly short distances within two weeks. Within five weeks they are able to fly longer distances.
Conservation status
Populations of sage grouse are in decline due to environment loss and decline of the pristine plains environments it requires to mate. The sage grouse is found in significant numbers within only half of the states comprising its original territories. The Biodiversity Conservation Alliance and other organizations have petitioned to list the grouse under the Endangered Species Act.
In March 2010 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) concluded that greater sage-grouse are warranted for protection as "threatened" under the U.S. federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). However the USFWS also concluded that immediate listing was "precluded" by higher listing priorities for other jeopardized species. Thus they designated the species a "Level 8 Candidate" for addition to the list of threatened species at some future date. Their finding is being litigated by groups contending the species should immediately receive protections under the ESA.
The
GPS trackers show that sage grouse congregate in small areas with certain resources, rather than being widely spread.[15]
US federal conservation plans have been met with lawsuits from wildlife organizations.[16]
On December 6, 2018, according to the New York Times:[17]
The Trump administration on Thursday published documents detailing its plan to roll back Obama-era protections for the vast habitat of the greater sage grouse, a chickenlike bird that roams across nearly 11 million acres [4.5 million hectares] in 10 oil-rich Western states.
The earlier proposal to protect the bird, whose waning numbers have brought it close to endangerment, was put forth under the Interior Department in 2015 and set out to ban or sharply reduce oil and gas drilling in 10.7 million acres [4.3 million hectares] of its habitat.
The Trump plan, by contrast, would limit the grouse’s protected habitat to just 1.8 million acres [730,000 hectares], essentially opening up 9 million acres [3.6 million hectares] of land to drilling, mining and other development.
As a mascot
The sagehen is the mascot of the
References
- ^ "Phasianidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
- ^ BirdLife International and NatureServe (2014) Bird Species Distribution Maps of the World. 2012. Centrocercus urophasianus. In: IUCN 2014. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". Archived from the original on 2014-06-27. Retrieved 2016-02-12.. Downloaded on 15 March 2015.
- ^ BirdLife International and NatureServe (2014) Bird Species Distribution Maps of the World. 2012. Centrocercus minimus. In: IUCN 2014. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". Archived from the original on 2014-06-27. Retrieved 2016-02-12.. Downloaded on 30 May 2015.
- ^ "Species Profile (Greater Sage-Grouse urophasianus subspecies) - Species at Risk Public Registry". Registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 2017-08-24. Retrieved 2018-12-11.
- ^ "Gunnison Grouse". IUCN Red List. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
- ^ "Sage Grouse". IUCN Red List. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
- ^ Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed., 2007)
- ^ "A Sage-Grouse Natural History | Defenders of Wildlife".
- ^ "Sage Grouse Biology".
- ^ From Discovering Lewis & Clark, http://www.lewis-clark.org © 1998–2008 VIAs Inc.
- ^ Grouse About This: A Funny-Looking Bird Is Holding Up Key National Defense Legislation, Joe Gould, DefenseNews.com, 27 September 2016, accessed 29 September 2016
- ^ "Sage-Grouse Unique Mating Display Explained". nationalgeographic.com. Archived from the original on 2015-06-08. Retrieved 2015-06-07.
- .
- ^ "Sagebrush Rangelands Are for the Birds—and Cattle". USDA Agricultural Research Service. April 30, 2010.
- ^ Scott Streater (June 11, 2015). "Massive wind project aims to save the sage grouse". Environment & Energy Publishing.
'You think of these birds as being scattered across the landscape, and they really are not. They are specialists,' he said. 'They go to the same areas that provide certain resources every year.'
- ^ Scott Streater (February 25, 2016). "SAGE GROUSE: Enviros sue to force changes to federal plans". Environment & Energy Publishing.
- ^ Coral Davenport (December 6, 2018). "Trump Plans Major Rollback of Sage Grouse Protections to Spur Oil Exploration". New York Times.
- ^ "Pomona Pitzer Sagehens Athletics". Pomono College–Pitzer College. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
- ^ Bell, Alison (19 September 2010). "Theirs is a 'big game' of a different stripe". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 24 August 2020.