This is a Greater Sage Grouse male strutting. Male birds congregate on traditional strutting grounds (called a lek) every spring and do this mating display to attract potential mates. Sage Grouse live in the western US in areas with lots of sagebrush. Due to factors like weeds, predators, poor cattle grazing practices, and increased oil and gas development in sage grouse habitats their populations are declining. There is legal petition being reviewed by the federal government to list the Greater Sage Grouse as an endangered species. If these birds are listed, it will have huge impacts on what activities can take place on our federal lands in the west. Sage grouse could be to cattle grazing and energy extraction what the spotted owl was to logging in the Pacific Northwest. There is a huge list of potential negative impacts to rural economies.
If listing sage grouse as en endangered species led to more responsible energy extraction practices and improved livestock grazing techniques, I think it could be a good thing. However, the track record of the Endangered Species Act and the environmental groups that use it as a tool to promote their own agendas is not encouraging. There are many extreme environmental groups with anti-cattle, anti-oil and gas, anti-use of any kind agendas that would file numerous lawsuits and protests against any activity they have a moral objection to. These groups suffer from a sever case of environmental extremist tunnel vision, and are far more interested in stopping livestock grazing on public grounds that they are in actually saving sage grouse. They will use the Greater Sage Grouse, like they have other endangered species, as a tool to stop activities they disagree with. There is strong evidence that properly managed cattle grazing and healthy sage grouse populations are compatible, but these groups will not allow any challenges to their rigid anti-cow dogmas.
The official decision from the US Fish and Wildlife Service is expected in December.
2 comments:
Hey, that strutting sage grouse certainly has my attention. His dance must really work on females 'cause I watched the footage over and over. So cool. Thanks for sharing an up close and personal moment from nature.
You mean we have to wait till December? Bummer ;)
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