Wildlife habitat on rangelands is one of the most pressing conservation issues in western North America. Nearly all western upland gamebird species rely on rangeland habitats. USU Extension's Rangeland-Wildlife Habitat Lab focuses on providing the best available scientific information concerning the assessment of management and conservation practices for these species, especially our native grouse species.
Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus)
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Found in the Intermountain West, as far north as Alaska, as far east as Michigan throughout the Northern Great Plains from Nebraska through the central Canadian provinces.
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Columbian Sharp-tailed grouse subspecies found in Utah
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Tail feathers come to a point, giving them their name
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Males attend leks and stomp or “dance” their feet rapidly to attract females during the breeding season
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Grasslands and shrub-steppe are their primary habitat
Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus)
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Originally found throughout the tall grass prairies of the Midwest, they expanded westward and northward following European settlement
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Now only found in a few states from Minnesota and North Dakota south to Oklahoma
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Males make a booming sound when trying to attract females during the breeding period
Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus)
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Historically found in the southern Great Plains, now mostly found in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico
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Smaller and thinner barring than the Greater prairie-chicken
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Habitat occurs in the mixed-grass prairies, CRP grasslands in the shortgrass prairie, sand sagebrush, and shinnery oak
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Hybridizes with greater prairie-chicken, referred to as guessers
Attwater's Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri)
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Historically found in the coastal grasslands of Texas and Louisiana, now only found in Texas on the Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge and nearby private lands
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The population currently relies on a captive breeding program
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Listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act
Heath Hen (Tympanuchus cupido cupido)
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Extinct in 1932, due to habitat loss and associated landuse changes
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Natural habitat was scrubby heathland barrens along the Atlantic coast, from Maine south to the Carolinas
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Last known population and individual was on Martha’s Vineyard