The greater sage-grouse, a popular gamebird in eastern Oregon and Washington, is an excellent indicator of the health of the sagelands country in the inland Northwest, an ecosystem rich in native biological integrity that has been substantially diminished.

Geographic range: The sage-grouse inhabits eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, and southwest Idaho. It relies on the sagebrush-dominated ecosystem that is found in the Northwest's dry interior country. See an animated map of historic and current sage-grouse range.

What the greater sage-grouse tells us: Nearly every form of human activity in sage country affects the sage-grouse, from fencing and transmission lines to mining and drilling. Farmlands and sagebrush eradication destroy their habitat conspicuously, while livestock grazing and off-road vehicles accomplish the same end more subtly. Invasive species render its landscape more vulnerable to fire and simplify the native plantlife, making food sources more scarce.

How the grouse is doing: The sage-grouse report card is mixed.

• The good news: In Oregon, sage-grouse populations of roughly 30,000 birds appear roughly stable over the last 20 or 30 years. While their numbers follow a natural cycle of ebb and flow, biologists believe that their current numbers reflect population stability.
• The bad news: But current populations are substantially below their historic abundance--in Oregon, probably less than 25 percent of historic numbers. In Washington, the future of the sage-grouse is even less rosy. The state is now home to only about 1,000 birds, in two fragmented populations, a small percentage of their historical populations.

Check the wildlife section of the blog for more on the grouse.

More resources

Conservation Northwest (formerly Northwest Ecosystem Alliance)

Oregon Natural Desert Association