Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Researchers Hope to Gain Sage-Grouse Data From Feathers

Feathers fly each spring when male greater sage-grouse square off on the lek. The lost plumage may matter little to the birds, but the genetic material in these feathers is giving researchers an opportunity to gain powerful new insights into the secret lives of these iconic sagebrush birds.

This spring, a research team began collecting feathers from more than 7,000 leks spread across 11 Western states and two Canadian provinces. The genetic information in the feathers should greatly improve our knowledge of sage-grouse genetics, which are not well-understood across the bird's 259,000 square-mile range. More importantly, the techniques being used should reveal information about sage-grouse movement patterns and population structure that would be extremely helpful for land use managers looking to identify critically important habitat and promising areas for restoration.