Montana Field Guide

Sexes are similar, although males have inconspicuous yellow eye combs and pale violet air sacs on the neck. Both sexes have feathered legs and upper parts mottled with white, buff, brown, and black. The wings have conspicuous white spots, and the breast and flanks have V-shaped brown markings on a snow-white background. Adult males and females average from 16.5-18.5 inches in length; adult males average 33 ounces and adult females 29 ounces in weight. The Plains Sharp-tailed Grouse, which typically ranges east of the Continental Divide, is larger and markings on underparts are broader and paler than the Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse which was historically distributed west of the Continental Divide and has now apparently been extirpated (Hoffman and Thomas 2007).

Female pheasants, especially in the early fall, can be confused with Sharp-tailed Grouse. Sharp-tailed Grouse, however, have much shorter tails, feathered legs, and white bellies (female pheasants are mottled brown throughout).

Move to breeding grounds in mid-March to mid-April, nest from mid-May to mid-June, rear broods from June to September, and moved to wintering areas from mid-October to mid-December.

The habitat is primarily grasslands interspersed with shrub and brush-filled coulees. They prefer stands of inter-mixed tree and shrub grasslands. With high population, they spread into islands of native grassland, usually along drainages surrounded by grainfields. Sharp-tailed Grouse persist only on native bunchgrass-shrub stands. In Idaho, Saab and Marks (1992) found birds selected big sage habitat types during summer. They appeared to prefer range habitats that were in good condition.

Diet consists of seeds, grasses, fruit, and insects.

Farming and intense grazing eliminate native grasses required for shelter, protection from predators, night roosting and spring nesting; dense trees and shrubs are needed for food, rest, escape, cover and winter survival.

Nesting occurs from mid-May to mid-June (Davis 1961). Displays were observed as early as April 3 (Skaar 1969) in the Gallatin Valley.