THE INGENUITY OF RESTORATION BIOLOGISTS
Greater Sage-Grouse are declining across the West, largely due to habitat loss. At Grand Teton National Park, crews spent eight years restoring native vegetation in an old pasture with one goal in mind: create ideal habitat for sage-grouse and draw birds away from the airport to reduce the risk of plane strikes.
Biologists carefully selected plant species to support brood-rearing, with a mix of cover and forage. They also selected plants that maintain some visually open ground to serve as a breeding site, called a lek.
The habitat is ready. Now comes the challenge: helping the birds find it.
In partnership with Teton Raptor Center, Jackson Hole High School RoboBroncs, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and Jackson Hole Airport, park staff are testing creative, experimental ways to draw sage-grouse to the new lek.
Each spring, male sage-grouse come to leks to “strut” in showy mating displays that attract females. Rival males join in, competing for attention. To help spark this activity at the restored site, partners built lifelike model grouse, both stationary and moving ones, paired with recorded breeding calls to enhance the scene.
Hopefully these model birds will draw in some real sage-grouse to join the dance party at the restored lek. Restoration takes years. Patience and ingenuity can help it succeed.
NPS Photos/McKinney: A robotic grouse hooked up to the solar panel.
