We’re working to maintain, restore and connect Central Washington’s shrub-steppe landscapes for the good of both people and wildlife, including sage-grouse.
November 2020: Take action for Washington’s imperiled sage grouse populations
The greater sage-grouse (centrocercus urophasianus), native to the shrub-steppe ecosystem of Eastern Washington’s Columbia Basin, depend upon their brown, black and white coloring for camouflage.
Unlike many types of birds, sage-grouse live primarily on the ground. They are omnivores, eating plants and insects that live and grow under sagebrush and other shrubs and grasses in the shrub-steppe. These grouse require healthy, connected sagebrush habitat to survive.
News on sage grouse
- January 2020: Wildfires torch dwindling sage-grouse habitat, Yale Climate Connections
- November 2020: Take action for Washington’s imperiled sage grouse populations
- November 2020: Sage grouse meets lame duck: New rules loosen restrictions on grazing, mining and drilling, Oregon Public Broadcasting
- September 2020: Endangered wildlife, habitat burned in Washington wildfires; years of effort to boost populations wiped out, The Seattle Times
- January 2020: Rangeland fire and sage grouse, National Interagency Fire Center
- March 2019: Trump Administration deals a blow to sage grouse
- December 2018: Sagelands Heritage Program conserves critical wildlands
- October 2018: Clarity in Central Washington’s Sagelands
Sage grouse in Washington
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) estimates the 2015 greater sage-grouse population in Washington was 1,004 birds (386 males counted on 27 lek complexes). The estimate was about three percent higher than the estimate for 2014. The slight increase followed four straight years of declines (35 percent overall decline from 2010 to 2014).
Historically, these large grouse were abundant throughout Eastern Washington. Today, only two isolated breeding populations remain; one in Douglas and Grant counties and another in Kittitas and Yakima counties. Sporadic sightings also occur in Okanogan, Lincoln and Benton counties.
Sage-grouse facts
- While they may move short distances of a few miles, sage-grouse are permanent residents and primarily spend their lives in the same place.
- Sage-grouse have a very elaborate courtship ritual. The males perform a strutting display which can last for hours, visiting traditional “leks,” or courtship display areas, where they puff up big and beautiful for the females, like the grouse in the photo.
- Unlike other types of grouse that eat many varieties of nuts and seeds, sage-grouse cannot digest hard seeds.
The importance of sagebrush and Washington’s remaining shrub-steppe
Due to their high dependence on sagebrush for survival, they are unable to live in areas without a stable sagebrush population for food and protection. Growing towns, highways, and agricultural lands have invaded open shrub-steppe lands, leaving the sage-grouse with a mere eight percent of their historical range in Washington.
From 1970 to 2010, sage-grouse populations dropped by 62 percent, to slightly more than 1,000 birds divided into two isolated populations. About two-thirds of the sage-grouse are located in Douglas and Grant counties, while the others are located near Kittitas and Yakima. Neither population is large enough to be sustainable long-term. Biologists estimate 3,200 as the minimum viable population of sage-grouse to make it in the long-term.
Federal officials are considering listing the greater sage-grouse as an Endangered species. We are closely monitoring these developments and working on habitat connectivity and restoration projects, including the Okanogan Working for Wildlife Initiative and our Sagelands Heritage Program, that can benefit the long-term recovery of greater sage-grouse in Washington state.