Sage-grouse Research Photos:

Photos of Sage-grouse, life at Chicken Camp, other sagebrush wildlife, and scenery from our field sites in Wyoming, California and Nevada. Click on the image to see a photo gallery.  All photos copyright by Gail Patricelli; please ask permission for use. Alan Krakauer has gorgeous photos of sage-grouse, fieldwork, and many other things on his Flickr page.

These close-up photos of greater sage-grouse and other birds were collected under research permits from state and federal wildlife agencies.  No matter how much you want a perfect photo, please keep your distance from sage-grouse leks and other bird breeding areas to avoid disturbance during a stressful time for the birds.  Sage-grouse are particularly sensitive to human disturbance and easily spooked–even if the males stay on the lek with people nearby, the females may be avoiding the area and breeding doesn’t work well without females. Much of the mating takes place over a single week, so if the birds are spooked from the lek in that time, the impact on breeding success can be significant. If you’re interested in observing a sage-grouse lek, contact your local wildlife managers (Bureau of Land Management or state wildlife agency) to learn which leks to visit in the area and how to minimize your impact on the birds. Here are some tips: https://www.sagegrouseinitiative.com/sage-grouse-lek-viewing-tours/

Greater Sage-grouse Research

Patricelli Lab Photos:

All photos copyrighted by Gail or members of the Patricelli Lab; please ask permission for use. Click on image to see full size.

 Our fantastic Sage-Grouse Field Crews: