October 2021 - 10

NEWS
Chick survival, dry conditions
influence lek attendance
CHEYENNE - The number of sage
grouse at leks decreased in the spring of
2021 according to new data analyzed by the
Wyoming Game and Fish Department. The
decline in lek attendance was expected due
to the sage grouse's cyclical population trend
and added drought conditions observed in
Wyoming. Despite this decline Wyoming
remains a sage grouse stronghold across
the west.
The decline in lek attendance
was expected due to the
sage grouse's cyclical
population trend and
added drought conditions
observed in Wyoming.
Lek attendance was down 13 percent from
2020. Officials counted an average of 16.9
male sage grouse per active lek, and more than
15,800 peak, male sage grouse were observed
on 85 percent of known, occupied leks. Annual
counts are carried out by Game and Fish,
Bureau of Land Management, consultants
and volunteers. Birds are counted aerially or
on-the-ground through observations from a
distance during their spring mating.
Chick survival is vital to supporting sage
grouse numbers. Populations are cyclic and
also influenced heavily by available food, like
insects and forbs. Following a dry year those
resources were limited, and sage grouse broods
averaged just over one chick surviving for every
hen. The 2020 hen-to-chick ratios were too
low for population growth.
" When considering the sage grouse's
population cycle, we look at the number of
chicks per hen, " said Leslie Schreiber, Game
and Fish sage grouse/sagebrush biologist.
" Game and Fish estimated an average of
1.1 chicks per hen in 2020. In order for the
population to grow, the average needs to be
closer to 1.5 chicks per hen. "
10 | October 2021
Although sage grouse rely on sagebrush landscapes to survive, leks are often in open areas where the males can be seen
and heard by females. (Photo by Justin Joiner/WGFD)
During the spring sage grouse males visit leks to put on displays and gain the attention of hens. (Photo by Justin Joiner/WGFD)

October 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2021

October 2021 - 1
October 2021 - 2
October 2021 - 3
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2024
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/wyoming-wildlife-may-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2024-e-edition
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-iak-special-issue
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https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/December2020
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