Sharp-Tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus)

County List:

Rule:

Mixed Forested/Nonforested or Nonforested Landscapes

      (Field/Pasture or Small Grains/Forage Crops or Savanna)
   adjacent to:
      Upland Brush

Habitat List:

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Literature:

Habitat: Ammann reported that in Michigan, a square mile of optimum summer habitat consists of 6% contiguous open herbaceous growth, 50% herb-shrub, and 44% scattered clumps of trees set in herbaceous growth. The focal point of sharp-tail habitat is the lek, or dancing ground, which is typically located in a large (12-16 ha) area dominated by herbaceous growth. Only a small portion of this area is consistently used by the birds during the courtship ritual. Tall trees are typically absent within 100-200 m of the site. Nests are on the ground near shrubs or tall grasses, usually within 1.6 km radius of the lek.

Reforestation and succession are eliminating most of the sharp-tail's habitat. A comprehensive management plan would require increased use of prescribed burns, brush mowing, plowing, and possibly herbicide treatments on public lands. Populations would benefit by creation of a continuous corridor of suitable habitat from the eastern to western Upper Peninsula. Financial incentives for farmers might be used to prevent the grasslands from being captured by invading woody growth. Such measures would also benefit many other grassland and savanna birds.

The Sharp-tailed Grouse is typical of regions that have open grassland mixed with groves of trees or shrubs. Closely related to the prairie-chickens, it is found mostly farther north. On winter nights it may roost by burrowing into snowdrifts, where the snow helps insulate it from the cold.

Habitat: Prairie, brush groves, forest edges, open burns in coniferous forest. Prime habitat includes a mixture of open prairie with groves of deciduous trees or shrubs, such as aspen, birch, willow. Shifts habitat with season, occupying more open grasslands in summer, groves of trees and shrubs in winter.

Diet: Mostly seeds, buds, leaves. Largely vegetarian for most of year. In winter, when food on ground is often buried by snow, feeds heavily on buds of trees and shrubs. In spring, eats leaves, green shoots, large numbers of flowers. Varied diet in fall, with seeds, berries, leaves, waste grains. Insects eaten mainly in summer (especially by young birds), including many grasshoppers.

Nest: Site is on ground, under shrub or thick clump of grass. Nest is a shallow depression with a sparse lining of grass, leaves, ferns.