SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, April 4, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) — State wildlife officials have issued guidelines for those wishing to witness the odd mating dance of the state’s sage grouse.
The Division of Wildlife Resource’s 2024 survey of the foot-tall lovebirds counted 4,623 males at 230 “leks” in the division’s 11 Sage Grouse Management Areas (SGMAs) statewide. Leks are the mating dance arenas, often used for generations, separate from roosting and nesting areas, the DWR said, where the males gather to huff and puff, hoot and whistle, to attract females. Ten to 20 males will cavort at a lek.
“While the full-body shudder of a sage-grouse may look odd, these birds are actually performing an important courtship ritual where the males gather in an area (called a lek) to strut their stuff and attract a mate!” the DWR said in a press release as the birds’ mating season approaches.
“Each spring, they perform this funky little mating dance where they inflate their two large air sacks and compete for the hens’ attention.
“If you plan to observe or photograph a lek, please do your best to reduce any disturbances to the sage-grouse.
We recommend:
— Observing in late April or May, after their peak mating season. By then, most females will have mated. This increases the chance that they’ll produce successful nests and chicks. Plus, the weather will be better, and males will still be in full display!
— Arriving at lek sites about an hour before sunrise.
— Stopping your vehicle at least a mile away and silencing any cell phones.
— Staying at least 50 yards from the lek WITHIN a blind or vehicle, and using binoculars and spotting scopes to observe.
— Turning off your vehicle and its lights.
— Leaving your pets at home.
— Staying at the lek until the birds leave. If you leave before the birds, you can disturb their mating efforts and impact their survival.
“Remember, successful sage-grouse breeding depends on reducing disturbances to the birds occupying the lek. Be respectful to wildlife by minimizing your activity, movements and noise. Remember, harassing wildlife is illegal.
“Basically, don’t bug these birds while they’re trying to get it on.”
To learn more: https://wildlife.utah.gov/sage-grouse/reports/lek-count-report-2024.pdf
