In the West, spring snowmelt has always heralded a curious sight: in the clear, pre-dawn light, intricately patterned birds begin to congregate on flat, open spaces. Soon, males began performing “dances”, fluttering their feet, making popping noises, and jumping into the air, defending their territories and hoping to draw the attention of nearby females. It is one of the most unique and awesome spectacles of nature. Yet today, the dance of these birds, the Columbian Sharp-tailed grouse has become increasingly rare. Once these birds were so abundant across the Intermountain West that they likely numbered in the millions, and flocks of thousands “darkened the sky” when they flew.

The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse used to range over 11 Western States and British Columbia. Today, viable populations remain in only three states. While they once numbered in the millions, today it is estimated that only 50,000 to 60,000 of these majestic birds remain.

Today, the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse is absent from over 90% of its former range. There are no flocks of thousands, awing onlookers as they darken the sky with their flight. In many areas, the start of spring no longer brings with it dancing grouse. Population levels are a mere fraction of what they once were and are still declining in many areas.

The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse needs the stringent protections afforded by the Endangered Species Act if it is to escape extinction. Once, this majestic bird ranged over much of the valleys and foothills of the Intermountain West. However, conversion of its native habitat to agriculture, habitat declines brought on by the grazing of its habitat by livestock, and hunting reduced populations. These declines have been perpetuated by backwards management by state and federal agencies, who seem content to let the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse fade into to extinction.

The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse is not alone; its fate is unfortunately shared by other western grouse. The western sage grouse, once thought to number in the millions, has been reduced to 140,000 birds, and it is now being petitioned for listing under the ESA. The Gunnisons sage grouse, newly identified, numbers less than 3,000 individuals, and is also the subject of a listing petition. Listing of the Lesser Prairie Chicken as threatened or endangered has been found to be warranted, but precluded by other listing actions.

Saving the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse is a worthy goal in and of itself. However, protection for the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse will have beneficial effects on other species as well. It serves as an “umbrella species” of shrub steppe ecosystems. Listing Columbian sharp-tailed grouse will benefit other species that depend on shrub-steppe for survival, such as the clay colored sparrow, the grasshopper sparrow, and the Idaho ground squirrel.

The time to protect the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse is now, before population declines doom the bird to extinction. Let us not forget the lessons of the passenger pigeon, gone from abundance to extinction in decades, and the heath hen, a close eastern relative of the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, extinct despite last ditch efforts to save it. The majestic Columbian sharp-tailed grouse deserves protection now, while there is still hope.

Forest Guardians, along with a broad coalition, is leading the effort to protect the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, by filing a petition to gain protection under the Endangered Species Act for the Columbian sharp-tailed grouse. For more information, please see below.