Two varieties of sharp-tailed grouse live in Colorado, the plains sharp-tailed grouse of Eastern Colorado, and the Columbian (or mountain) sharp-tailed grouse.
Colorado's Columbian sharp-tailed grouse live in some of the shrublands and aspen forests of the northwestern pate of the state and offer wildlife watchers a display not soon forgotten—early-morning 'dances' on the leks. (The lek is an area, usually fairly open, where males gather to display.) These ritualistic dances are thought to have inspired aspects of Native American culture. To watch the birds dance at dawn and dusk is to witness sheer visual poetry.
Some say that true beauty is found beneath the surface. Nowhere is this more true (or more literal) than with the sharp-tailed grouse. Underneath the male’s mottled exterior are magnificent purple neck sacs that emerge only during their courtship dances on the leks. As winter warms into spring, male sharp-tailed grouse compete with each other for dominance. The dominant grouse wins the best spot in the lek, giving him a better chance of mating with a female.
After the males have competed with one another, the hens (females) arrive and strut through the breeding grounds. In a display for the hens, the males extend their wings and fan their sharp-tails into an inverted “V”. With all tails to the sky, these lovebirds begin wooing the females by “cooing” their percussive songs. They proudly inflate their purple neck sacs while bowing, dancing, and performing what’s called a “flutter-jump”. In a flutter jump, they patter their feet, cackle loudly, and jump roughly four feet in the air while rustling their wings. If the flutter jump flutters a hen’s heart, the two mate and go their separate ways. She lays about 10 eggs in a nest that she cares for alone; the eggs hatch in 3 weeks.
During the rest of the year, it may be harder to notice these brown, mottled, chicken-like birds. When it’s not breeding season, it’s in the grouse’s best interest not to stand out. Just like any other species of wildlife, grouse have their place in the ecosystem and a variety of predators would love to make a meal of a grouse! Predators looking for an easy catch will skulk near the lek during breeding season. With the distractions of courtship, many a grouse has succumbed to predation. These little chickens know their risks, but they put it all on the line for that one shot at a special “little lady”. So, before you call someone a “chicken”, watch Colorado’s spring chickens and see how brave these little knights in purple armor really are.