Question 1

True or false: Male Greater Sage-Grouse inflate two large air sacs on their chests to produce popping sounds during mating displays.

Accepted Answer

True. Males have two yellow air sacs that inflate and deflate rapidly, creating a unique popping noise to attract females during their elaborate lekking rituals.

Question 2

True or false: Female Greater Sage-Grouse often mate with multiple males during a single breeding season to maximize genetic diversity.

Accepted Answer

True. Females visit multiple leks and may mate with several males, selecting based on display quality and dominance, which boosts offspring genetic variation.

Question 3

True or false: Greater Sage-Grouse migrate thousands of miles each year between summer and winter habitats.

Accepted Answer

False. They are non-migratory; they make short seasonal movements of only a few miles between breeding, summer, and winter areas within sagebrush landscapes.

Question 4

True or false: Greater Sage-Grouse chicks are born with fully developed feathers and can fly within hours of hatching.

Accepted Answer

False. Chicks are precocial but covered in down; they can walk and feed themselves shortly after hatching, but cannot fly for about two weeks.

Question 5

True or false: The species' population has declined by over 90% in the last century due to habitat loss from agriculture and development.

Accepted Answer

True. Conversion of sagebrush habitat to farmland, oil and gas development, and wildfires have caused massive declines, though exact figures vary by region.

Question 6

True or false: Greater Sage-Grouse can survive entirely without drinking water, getting all moisture from sagebrush leaves.

Accepted Answer

True. Sagebrush is their primary food source and provides enough water content, allowing them to thrive in arid environments without free-standing water.

Question 7

True or false: The Greater Sage-Grouse is the only bird species that depends entirely on sagebrush for both food and shelter throughout the year.

Accepted Answer

False. Several other species like the Sage Thrasher, Sage Sparrow, and Brewer's Sparrow also rely heavily on sagebrush, though the grouse is the most iconic.

Question 8

True or false: The Greater Sage-Grouse can fly at speeds over 60 miles per hour, making it one of the fastest game birds in North America.

Accepted Answer

False. Their top flight speed is around 30-40 mph. They are strong but burst flyers, not speed champions like some other upland birds.

Greater Sage-Grouse Trivia Questions