Animal profile

Greater Sage-Grouse

Centrocercus urophasianus

AvesSagebrush steppe and shrublandNear Threatened

Field profile

The greater sage-grouse is the largest grouse in North America and depends entirely on sagebrush country. Males gather at communal display grounds each spring and inflate air sacs on the chest to produce booming notes. Sagebrush leaves make up nearly all of the winter diet.

Published field notes

2023-12-08

Greater Sage-Grouse

Sage-grouse eat almost nothing but sagebrush in winter

Most grouse switch to seeds or buds when snow arrives. The greater sage-grouse lives through winter on sagebrush leaves alone, a diet loaded with plant toxins, and it lacks the muscular gizzard other gamebirds use to grind hard food.

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