Have you Seen Bizarre Looking Birds Called Sage Grouse?

Sage Grouse Male (credit to Sierra Club)

When I posted a strange animal called as a three-toed Sloth, all of us never saw it in nature. Please re-visit previous post: Have You Ever Seen a three-toed Sloth in the Nature? | Tanza Erlambang Update

Here, we talk about another odd animal, Sage Grouse. As of above photo is male of sage grouse.

The strange and interesting that a male attracts females by popping sound produced from very big air sacs which locate in his front chest.

Many females will choose the most dominant male with sizes (weight and lengths) twice more than their own.

The normal weight for males are 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg) and 3 pound (1.4 kg) for females. The length size is 28 inches (71 cm) for male and 21 inches (53 cm) for female sage grouses. 

A male with a female (credit to Utah Public Radio)

Sage grouse birds occupy shrub-land across North America and Canada. In America, the birds could be found in:

- California

- Nevada

- Idaho

- Montana

- Washington

- Oregon

- Wyoming

- Colorado

- Utah

- South Dakota

- North Dakota

Two species of birds cover about 190 million acres of American 11 states and two Canadian provinces:

- Greater sage grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)

- Gunnison sage grouse (Centrocercus minimus).

Unfortunately that population of both species are decreasing in nature. Greater sage grouse is included as near threatened species.

The number of Gunnison sage grouse is extremely low, around 1,700 birds left only in natures, thus categorized as endangered, brink of extinction species.

Finally, have you seen bizarre looking birds called Sage Grouse in nature or in zoo?