By Rick Baetsen Each spring, the sharp-tailed grouse puts on one of Michigan's most fascinating bird courtship rituals. As the long winter fades to spring, the males begin to gather on historical dancing grounds to display, in an attempt to attract the hen's attention. The birds fly onto the dancing grounds (leks) shortly before sunrise. Each male soon claims and prepares to defend a small piece of territory. Almost as if on cue, they all begin to dance. Arching their wings, they twist and turn, making sudden rushes forward, all while stomping their feet in a form of dance. Each male creates a loud rattling noise by shaking its primary tail feathers. Bright yellow eye combs are raised as part of the visual display. The display is as much vocal as it is visual, with many calls and hoots; some made by the exhausting of air from inflated lavender-colored neck sacs. On quiet mornings, these vocalizations can be heard up to half a mile from the dancing grounds. This ritual is repeated many times during the early morning hours, and throughout the spring mating season. The females gather at the dancing grounds during the peak of the courtship activities and select a mate. The fever of the dance diminishes by mid-morning and the birds disperse in the surrounding area to feed and roost. Sharp-tailed Grouse Pair on Territory Unfortunately, this unique spring ritual is taking place in fewer locations in Michigan. Sharp-tailed grouse populations have been in a serious decline, especially during the 1980-1990's. The birds have all but disappeared from their former haunts in the Lower Peninsula. They have also declined drastically in the western Upper Peninsula, existing only in small and isolated pockets in the central Upper Peninsula, and can only be found in fair numbers on the past and current agricultural lands of eastern Upper Peninsula. The sharp-tailed grouse is a native resident from Alaska eastward to Michigan. Its habitat requirements are the open-lands of grasslands, prairies, pine barrens, open brush lands, bogs and sedge meadows. Sharp-tailed Grouse Dancing Historical logging and wildfires, associated with the harvest of White Pine, created large expanses of additional habitat for this species. The sharp-tailed grouse and its relative, the Greater Prairie Chicken, increased in numbers and expanded their ranges into this new habitat. At several locations in the Lower Peninsula, sharp-tailed grouse were released from Upper Peninsula and Canadian Province populations. Population peaks were probably reached in the 1940's or early 50's, with an estimated 4,000 birds in the Upper Peninsula and another 400 birds in the Lower Peninsula. In the late 1950's, the sharp-tailed grouse and prairie chicken populations began to decline. The last prairie chickens in Michigan, disappeared from its last "booming grounds", near Marion in the early 1980's. In the mid-1990's, the population of sharp-tailed grouse was estimated to be less than 500 birds statewide. Pine Stump Ghost Forest Dancing ground surveys conducted in 1995 located approximately 100 male birds, most of these in the eastern Upper Peninsula. As the bird numbers declined, the hunting season on the bird was restricted. In 1996, the season was closed. It continues to be classified a game bird, though there is no open hunting season. The sharp-tailed grouse in Michigan was given "Special Concern" species status in 1999. Bird numbers did increase in the late 1990's, likely due to good survival during several mild winters, good nesting and brooding seasons, and habitat improvement projects. There are many reasons for the decline of the sharp-tailed grouse, but the most significant is that natural succession has changed the landscape from grasslands to brushlands to mature forests. Also, improved fire suppression methods, plantings of pines on public lands, and changing agricultural practices have led to the gradual loss of grasslands. Due to habitat loss, grassland bird species are suffering from more significant population declines than birds from any other habitat classification, according to breeding bird surveys conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Dancing Grounds Grassland Opening, Northern Lower Peninsula, Michigan Grassland ecosystems were and are an important part of Michigan's natural heritage. Large areas of open land were components of presettlement habitat cover types. Pine barrens, savannahs, prairies, meadows and grasslands were found throughout Michigan. The influence of humans has and will continue to alter the face of the landscape in Michigan. We do however, also need to strive to restore and maintain some areas to presettlement habitat types. Through these efforts, we will continue to have habitat for the birds, wildlife, wildflowers and insects that inhabit the grasslands. Sharp-tailed grouse populations have responded very positively to habitat restoration and maintenance projects that have been conducted on public lands. At a time in the 1990's, when the bird was suffering Great Lake region-wide population declines, Michigan bird numbers increased in the upper peninsula. This was due to habitat work conducted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service at Seney National Wildlife Refuge, the US Forest Service on the Hiawatha National Forest, and the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources on the Lake Superior State Forest. Male Sharp-tailed Grouse The Michigan Sharp-tailed Grouse Association (MSGA) was formed in 1990, with a stated goal of being "dedicated to the restoration of grassland ecosystems in Michigan." Towards this effort, the MSGA received the support of the Michigan United Conservation Clubs in 1998 and the Michigan Audubon Society in 1999. The MSGA is actively seeking new members and volunteers to assist with the annual spring dancing ground surveys of the birds. Annual membership dues are $25.00. To join the MSGA, or to receive additional information on membership benefits, contact: John Ries, Michigan Sharp-tailed Grouse Association, 10641 Macatawa Lane, Holland, MI 49423. Through an active grassland management plan, the MSGA hopes to maintain places in Michigan for those species that inhabit the grasslands. One of its goals is to make sure that future generations will have the opportunity to witness the spectacular springtime courtship ritual of the Sharp-tailed Grouse. Sharp-tailed Grouse pair at sunrise Rick Baetsen, is a biologist and nature photographer from Walloon Lake, Michigan. He is a co-founder, past president, and board member of the Michigan Sharp-tailed Grouse Association (MSGA). All images & text in this Northern Michigan Birding Bird Profile are owned by Rick Baetsen. Rick specializes in nature photography and his photographs can be purchased online at Rick Baetsen Wildlife & Nature Photography