sage hen

1. Bird Name
The bird under spotlight herein is colloquially known as Sage Hen. Its scientific name is Centrocercus urophasianus, and it’s also widely recognized as the Greater Sage-Grouse.

2. Appearance
The Sage Hen possesses a distinctive and beautiful appearance: they bear a mottled gray-brown plumage, white breast, with a belly speckled in black. This intricate feathering allows the bird to seamlessly blend into the natural sagebrush habitat, making the bird nearly invisible to predators. Males have a pair of yellowish, puffed up, air sacs on the chest which are used during the striking courtship display. When inflated, these sacs contrast sharply against the bird’s darker body coloration. Moreover, they possess long, pointed tail feathers and an elongated, slightly curved beak.

3. Size
The Sage Hen, being the largest grouse species in North America, stands out with impressive measurements. On average, males measure 66-76 cm (26-30 inches) in length while females are slightly smaller at 48-58 cm (19-23 inches). Adult males typically weigh around 2-3 kg (4.4-6.6 lb), and females around 1-2 kg (2.2-4.4 lb). The wingspan can range from 81-104 cm (32-41 inches).

4. Habitat & Distribution
Native to North America, Sage Hens primarily thrive in shrub-steppe ecosystems, with a strong preference for sagebrush (Artemisia) habitats. Their distribution spans 11 U.S. states and 2 Canadian provinces, including Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Washington State, the Dakotas, Wyoming, Eastern California, Southern Alberta, and Southwestern Saskatchewan.

5. Interesting Facts
There are a couple of intriguing aspects about the Sage Hen: The male Sage Hen’s mating ritual is quite an elaborate spectacle, involving the inflation of sacs on their chest to create a popping sound that can be heard from a distance; the males also fans its tail feathers and makes swishing sounds to attract females. Additionally, despite their large size, Sage Hens are capable of fantastic bursts of speed, both on ground and in flight, reaching velocities of up to 50 miles per hour.

6. Diet
The diet of Sage Hens primarily consists of sagebrush throughout the winter and an array of insects, flowers, and grasses in summer. They also consume forbs, seeds and berries when available.

7. Behavior & Sounds
Engaging in a lek mating system, male Sage Hens convene to do their vocals and dances in designated areas known as leks, attracting females with their duel of songs and dances. Their call, which accompanies the inflation of their chest sacs, creates a poetic, bubbling-cow-like sound resonating across the sagebrush.

8. Conservation Status
The Sage Hen is classified as ‘Near Threatened’ on the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss and degradation, primarily from agriculture and development. The threat, therefore, is considered significant and requires intensified conservation efforts.

9. Lifespan
In the wild, the average lifespan of a Sage Hen is between 1 and 6 years. However, in captivity, they can live up to 10 years due to the absence of natural predators and a controlled diet.

10. Additional Notes
Sage Hens plays a crucial ecological role, their feeding and foraging habits help to spread the seeds of plants, contributing to the restoration and maintenance of the sagebrush ecosystem. They are also notable for their minimal interaction with humans − these birds are onsite breeders, nesting on the ground near the bases of sagebrush plants, camouflaging from potential threats, including man-made disturbances. Their minimal interaction doesn’t bank on their insignificance to human culture, as they continue to play an inspiring role in local folklore and tribal rituals. Their local name in some Native American tribes includes ‘Sisk-a-dee’.