Greater Sage-Grouse
(Centrocercus urophasianus)
Greater Sage-Grouse
Distribution of greater sage-grouse
includes the eastern one-half and
southwest corner of Montana. Greater
sage-grouse require the naturally occurring
patchwork of sagebrush communities
to meet survival and reproduction
needs. Conservation concerns include:
conversion of native sagebrush grassland to
cropland, nonnative pasture or residential
development; fragmentation of sagebrush
grasslands (e.g., structural developments,
roads, urban sprawl); and vulnerability to
West Nile virus. Conservation strategies
include: promoting conservation of intact
sagebrush grasslands through incentives
and easements; utilizing local cooperators
to expand greater sage-grouse conservation;
quantifying impacts of energy development;
and continuing funding and research on
associations between West Nile virus and
greater sage-grouse populations.
