Spring is a time of rebirth. Old is becoming new, performing rituals that brings forth new life. Mother nature is a powerful force and a prime example of that power is the return of Prairie grouse each spring to their breeding Leks. Like the swallows of Capistrano, they return to the same location year after year. The Great Plains is home to several species of grouse including Greater and Lesser Prairie Chicken, Sage Grouse and our subject for this article...the Sharptail Grouse.

Each year in early April through mid May, the males return to the Lek. They perform their ritual dance, competing for the right to breed. The Sharptail's dance is unique...they place their head close to the ground and flair their purple neck sacks. A bizarre BTTTTT sound begins as their tail shoots in the air and their wings spread to the side. Then they dance in a circle looking like jetliners preparing for take off. The noise continues as they stomp their feet and spin in a circle. They can create quite a commotion as one male after another performs. The Sharptail is truly the dancer of spring.

As quickly as it begins, the noise stops as all the males freeze in place. This position is held until one grouse can take it no longer and begins again. Once one goes...they all go. Each male competes for a staging ground, and a submissive male will move from rival to rival looking for a place of his own. Females hold at the edge of the Lek watching the display. Once a hen is spotted, several males may take after her at once. This opens up the lek to outsiders and the competition begins over again.

The dance itself is a unique routine that is common only to the Sharptail. The Lakota Sioux people were so taken by the Sharptail's display that many of their traditional dances mimic the unique posture and motion. When males approach each other, they do so cautiously but with aggression. As they dance they will suddenly lay down facing each other and perform what looks like an old-fashioned stare down. The one that rises first appears to be the winner, as the one still down will often slink off to find another rival. This scene is repeated over and over until all the males have found their place. Soon after, however, a female will enter the Lek and the chase is on. The process then starts over again.

Sharptails vocalize constantly on the Lek and the most common sound is a gentle "Coo-Coo" that is in direct contrast to the aggressive dance. Fights are somewhat common and quite often Sharptail males are seen with feathers missing on their necks and even bloody wounds from their sharp beaks and talons.

Once breeding has taken place, the hens will lay approximately 12 small brown eggs in sheltered creek bottoms and fencerows. Incubation takes 21 days with a small self-sufficient chick emerging. Within 10 days the young are able to fly, and at about 3 months their size and coloration is relatively indistinguishable from the adults.

Sharptails are a common prey for many prairie predators including foxes, coyotes and birds of prey. Sharptails are very strong fliers and capable of high-speed maneuvers to avoid a hawk or falcon's talons. In recent years, the lowly mosquito is proving a substantial threat as the spread of West Nile disease is taking a toll on many Sharptail populations. Like the environment they live in, the little grouse is very hardy and is capable of withstanding the harshest conditions.

Because of this strong flying ability and being excellent table fare...they are highly sought by falconers and upland bird hunters alike. Where Sharptail and Ringneck Pheasant populations overlap, the Sharptail is often mistaken for a hen pheasant and is distinguishable only by its short, sharp tail and its characteristic "three-beat, glide" wing beat.

Sharptail habitat is quickly disappearing in many areas of their range with the destruction of short grass prairies, over grazing and homes encroaching on their habitat. The spring dancing Leks are re-used from year to year with some Leks thought to have been used for well over 100 years in areas of intact habitat. Sharptail are adaptable however and unlike some other grouse species, will relocate a lek after displacement if necessary. Their food choices exhibit this adaptability as well, feeding on such fare as insects, Dandelion seeds and leaves, Prairie Rose, White and Sweet clover leaves, wheat seeds, sunflower and alfalfa. They are relative opportunists.

Photographing Shartptails on the Lek is about the only way of consistently getting close to them and is certainly the most exciting time of their life cycle. The little grouse are relatively unaffected by photography blinds and I have had several land on top while I was in it...possibly thinking it was a hay bale. Lens in the 200mm thru 600mm range all work well as most Leks will have grouse spread throughout. I have found that they are very accepting of your presence as long as you don't move too fast or stick your head out of the blind. However, if they do fly off, (as they will sometimes do if a hawk flies overhead) just be patient, as they will almost always return after the coast is clear.

All grouse species are fun to photograph but the little Sharptail holds a special place in my heart and has become a big part of my spring photography ritual each year. Here's to the little grouse and may he always have room to dance!

Les Voorhis will be leading a workshop to photograph these dancers April 17-21, 2005. For more information see Prairie Dancers Workshop or contact Les by email: les@royaltineimages.com

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