If you’ve never seen a greater sage grouse dance you are truly missing out on one of the strangest yet most enchanting mating rituals in the bird world.
Each spring, male greater sage grouse congregate on traditional breeding grounds known as leks for their odd yet vital courtship displays to win the rights to breed with the females that also come to the lek this time of year in search of a mate.
A sage grouse lek is a traditional springtime gathering area the large drab-colored grouse instinctively return to each year where males perform courtship displays and compete with other males for the opportunity to breed with the attending female sage grouse.
Sage grouse leks are vital and if they are destroyed it could very well hamper the breeding season as sage grouse come to these same areas year after year to congregate, dance and display, and to breed.
In fact, besides the sagebrush itself, the lek is the next most important piece of the puzzle for the survival of a local sage grouse population.
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Sage grouse are not an easy bird for bird watchers to find and observe in the vast sea of seemingly endless sagebrush, except, of course, during the spring mating dance performed on their traditional leks.
The best way to find and observe the greater sage grouse is to visit a known lek in the spring when the grouse are selecting mates and breeding for the season.
Where To Find Greater Sage Grouse In Utah
In Utah, the best and most well-known greater sage grouse lek for public viewing is the Henefer lek, a few miles east of East Canyon State Park on state road 65 where Morgan and Summit counties meet.
The lek itself is comprised of private land and should be respected as such, but bird watchers can get a great view by parking in the small roadside lot and watching from the vehicle.
The greater sage grouse usually start dancing on the Henefer lek in late March and can sometimes go into early May, but I find early to mid-April is the best time, depending on how much snow we received during winter.
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Tips For Viewing Dancing Sage Grouse On A Lek
Arrive very early, well before sunrise, in fact, as the greater sage grouse start dancing even before the sun starts to ascend.
Stay in your vehicle and use it as a blind.
Sage grouse aren’t wary of parked vehicles, per se, but if you get out of the vehicle you might spook the grouse and they could fly off to a much more distant location on the lek, thus ruining the experience for everyone in attendance.
Park the vehicle and leave the engine and lights turned off as starting and moving around for a better view might spook the grouse as well.
Keep the talking and noise to a minimum when the sage grouse are in close proximity to not distract the grouse and possibly spook them.
Don’t trespass on private land, that just goes without saying.
Bring binoculars just in case the grouse are dancing at a distance.
The greater sage grouse dance is something I think every bird watcher should see in person at least once, if not more.
It is both odd and hauntingly beautiful at the same time.
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