Sharp-tailed Grouse
The Sharp-tailed Grouse is Saskatchewan's official Provincial Bird, proclaimed so in 1945. It is found in the southern prairies and northern meadows from our southern to northern borders. Unfortunately, its populations have declined, especially in the south (due to lost habitat) and it is now most common in areas with mixed grassland and aspen wood.
The Sharp-tail is famous for the elaborate courtship displays that the birds perform in the spring on their "dancing grounds" (leks). Here, males return every spring to attract and mate with the females. The hens then incubate the eggs (10-15 in a nest) and raise the young.
In the fall and winter, they assemble into small flocks, feeding on the buds of shrubs and poplars, where they may be seen sitting high in the tree-tops on sunny days.
Photo courtesy Doug Backlund
|
