Endangered Sage Grouse - Decision Delayed

Sage Grouse is a rare bird and is exposed to the risk of extinction. This is one of those few members of the wild life kingdom that have created a lot of confusions regarding whether to enlist it to be the endangered species or not. Unfortunately, today Sage Grouse has been struggling hard for survival in Colorado, although there is a sudden, noticeable spurt in the population of Sage Grouse experienced recently. Hence decision has not yet been taken to list this rare bird as endangered species.

As any as three petitions have been sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service with request to list the Sage Grouse as an endangered and threatened species. The Service found that the petitions had provide with adequate information about the rare bird that could warrant this rare species of bird to be listed. Fortunately the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service will be starting off a status review of the species. This is going to be the first step in the process of determining if Sage Grouse should be protected under the Endangered Species Act. Michael Bean, who is a senior adviser to Assistant Secretary of Interior Tom Strickland, said: "The Fish and Wildlife Service is well aware of the significance of this decision, because of its potential impact on a broad area and many activities within that broad area". On the other level the federal officials are still not active enough. They tend to delay a decision on whether to enlist the rare Sage Grouse in 11 Western states as an endangered species until 2010. Good news is that, the volunteers have already kick started a conservation project in the city with a donation of over $11 million in order to preserve 17,000 acres of land with a motive to enhance the typical habitat of this endangered bird. Thankfully the government has also stepped forward and stretched out the helping hands. The government has invested a huge volume of money for aerial seeding to feed the birds.

A bit about the behavior of rare Sage Grouse

Although Sage Grouse has many common characteristic with many birds, still they show typical behavior that set this endangered species of bird apart from most other birds. Worth mentioning is that the Sage Grouse is noted for it elaborate courtship rituals. Spring is the time when the male of the species tend to show of stunning beauty a typical strut gait. Each spring (between February and April) the male Sage Grouse would puff up a white large ball on his chest. With his tail beautifully displayed and puffing up his entire body the males would strut around, by making soft drumming sound. He does this in order to attract females. Females build up their nests for laying eggs. They incubate their eggs under the cover of sage brush. Unlike most birds the nest of Sage Grouse are shallow depressions on the ground, essentially covered.

Interestingly the females lay on clutch (comprising 5 to 12 eggs in each clutch), but have been noticed to have replaced it if the eggs are lost. Females are ready to lay eggs 7 days after mating and tend to lay an egg a day. Most interesting fact about the Sage Grouse chicks is that they can walk and even fly short distances immediately after being hatched.

The Chicken-sized Sage Grouse ranges from Montana to Nevada and from California to Colorado. Activities like gas and oil drilling, livestock grazing, building wind power turbines etc are responsible for the decline in the population of these beautiful fowl. Today the exact figure f its population is not exactly known. The chicken-sized grouse ranges from Montana to Nevada and California to Colorado, living alongside livestock grazing, oil and gas drilling and an increasing number of wind power turbines. Its population has been in decline for decades, but how many remain is unknown. According to David Hensley, counsel to Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, the delay in the decision offers a chance to see if the measures are really effective. Hensley said: "We're trying to make the best case we can to the federal government that the species doesn't warrant federal protection in Idaho".