The Gunnison Sage-Grouse is one of the rarest birds in the United States. It was only recently acknowledged as its own species, separate from the Greater Sage-Grouse.
In November 2014, it was listed as "threatened" under the federal Endangered Species Act. The striking males are consummate performers and can be found displaying on sagebrush plains in southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado.
Males gather and strut, hoping to impress females by fanning their long, spiky tail feathers. The rubbery sounds they make in display will surprise you!