Laughing at Sharp-Tailed Grouse
By Christine Rowe
My dad would often take my sister and me along on surveys for his work as a wildlife biologist when we were young. One of these outings was in the northwest Wisconsin barrens, a unique habitat managed largely for sharp-tailed grouse. On that day, my dad grabbed a pizza from the gas station and brought my sister and me to a blind in the scrubby prairie. He opened up some folding chairs and the pizza, then clicked on a cassette player. A crescendo of unfamiliar chirps and rattles filled the blind and projected into the opening in front of us — the call of the Sharp-tailed Grouse.
My sister and I exchanged grins and spent most of the time giggling while my dad politely waited for the birds to arrive. I can’t recall how long we waited there, muffling our laughs while nibbling pizza crust, but at some point, a few male birds trickled into the lek (a spring dancing ground) and danced. It is an interesting sight; mottled birds with purple cheeks and orange eyebrows puffing up, stamping their feet, spinning in circles and bowing to each other before a duel.
Once widespread, sharp-tailed grouse are now considered a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in the state of Wisconsin. The loss of open barrens, savannas and grasslands is the most significant factor in reducing the population. Over time, these habitats have been fragmented by agriculture, development, fire suppression and conversion of land to forest habitat. In fact, the bird is now down to only 10% of its historical range in Wisconsin with less than 1% of the historical 2.3 million acres of barrens habitat remaining.
This remaining habitat requires intensive management through controlled burning and brush cutting, and exists as a direct result of collaboration across several allies and agencies.
The barren habitat these grouse call home is not particularly beautiful at first glance. Pine and oak barrens, burned forest and scrubby grasslands are their preferred cover. Their leks are hardly distinguishable to the average observer, but to the sharp-tail, the lek is a stage to display upon. Leks are most often found in open, elevated areas with slightly less vegetation, but surrounded by adequate escape cover if a predator arrives.
Sharp-tail populations are monitored in two main ways: spring lek surveys like the one my dad brought my sister and me on, and GPS monitoring. Lek surveys are conducted to count the number of males visiting the sites through April and May. During these surveys, GPS monitoring can be used to track bird movement and activity.
This past spring, Bayfield County and the Natural Resources Research Institute successfully trapped and collared four birds (three males and one female). This data helps spotlight specific habitat characteristics used for different times of the year, including breeding season, nesting season and brood-rearing. Understanding this habitat and the movement of birds within it helps shape future management strategy.
Unfortunately, suitable habitat is fragmented within a landscape that is primarily forested. This causes new broods to limit their dispersal range, further challenging the genetic diversity of populations at each of the main Northwest Wisconsin barrens areas.
To combat this difficulty and encourage movement between sites, several agencies have teamed together to create opportunities for the birds to use smaller habitats as waysides between the barrens — a stepping stone approach. This includes educating private landowners and assisting in habitat development, as well as developing other publicly owned property. It is a tedious and challenging endeavor, but one worth pursuing to ensure the survival of this upland species.
I doubt the sharp-tails know that they are hanging in such a delicate habitat infrastructure as they head into another Wisconsin winter. With any luck, they will thrive for decades to come and I can haul my son, some folding chairs and a gas station pizza out to their dancing grounds one day to see their annual performance.
If you feel inclined to help support Wisconsin’s Sharp-tailed Grouse population, please consider becoming a member of the Wisconsin Sharp-tailed Grouse Society at wisharptails.org
Resources:
Sharp-tailed Grouse Management Team, Bob Hanson, Cody Strong, Nancy Christel, Alaina Roth, Lindsay Long, Lauren Bradshaw, Ryan Magana, Ken Jonas, and Jon Steigerwaldt. 2022. Wisconsin Sharp-Tailed Grouse Management Plan 2023-2033. Vol. 3. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Kooiker, Paul. Fall 2024. Vol 104. 2024 WSGS ANNUAL MEETING. “WISCONSIN SHARP-TAILED GROUSE SOCIETY NEWSLETTER.”