Protecting Sage Grouse Habitat

Male Sage Grouse Mating Ritual Dance
Originally uploaded by DennyMont

The bird, native to southeast Alberta and southwest Saskatchewan, gather in breeding grounds called leks every spring. The males fan out their tail feathers and puff air in and out of air sacs on their necks, pushing out their chests. They perform for several hours a day to attract females, while all birds hoot and cackle.

The display delights nature watchers from around the world. But the leks are being squeezed out by human activity, including oil and gas drilling, highway expansion and cattle grazing, say the groups.

A lawsuit is being filed to protect the Prairie habitat needed by the endangered sage grouse.

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(Image by DennyMont)