The Greater-sage grouse can be found in Alberta and Saskatchewan and 11 states in the western United States. Greater Sage-grouse require sagebrush for food, shelter, and nesting cover.

Estimates put the population of Greater Sage-grouse at around 10-million at the time of European exploration. By 1970 that number had dropped to 1.7 million and has continued to decrease since then. In Saskatchewan, the population has declined considerably. In 1988 there were an estimated 2,000 birds in the province, by 2001 that number had dropped to between 500 and 600 birds.

Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) gather at breeding areas called leks in the evening and early mornings in the spring. Males that are nearly the size of turkeys use display competitions in an attempt to gain breeding privileges with the much smaller females.

Population monitoring of Sage-grouse occurs in the early morning hours of April and May when the largest number of males present will be counted. Up to four counts are conducted from seven to ten days apart on each lek. Multiple counts will hopefully include the peak attendance periods for both adult and juvenile males. Observers use spotting scopes and binoculars in order to obtain accurate counts numbers without approaching closely and disturbing the birds. Historic leks are also surveyed and searches are made for new leks.

Female Greater Sage-grouse stand, forage, or walk around and through the lek. The presence of hens tends to increase displaying activity by males. Displaying males stand upright, fluff up their feathers, fan out their tail feathers, inflate the nuchal air sacs on their chests and make audible noises with their wings and by releasing the air from the nuchal sacs. Displaying by one male often encourages other males present to begin displaying.

Generally, the adult females attend leks and initiate nesting activities before juvenile females. Once she selects a mate and breeds, she will not return to the lek unless her nesting attempt fails. As with the females, adult males tend to go to leks earlier in the season than the juvenile males. Juvenile females and renesting hens attending leks later in the breeding season will likely be bred by younger, less dominant males. The earlier breeding birds will probably have better success in raising young.

Monitoring and management of Greater Sage-grouse populations occurs across the range of the species, which includes much of the Great Plains and sagebrush habitats in dry mountainous areas of the western states. Populations across most of the Sage grouse range have declined significantly over the past few decades.

In Saskatchewan, the population has decreased more than 90% since the late 1980's. The species was listed as a Threatened species in Saskatchewan in 1987. The provincial status was changed to Endangered in 1998 to reflect the rapid downward population trend experienced by the Greater Sage-grouse.

Greater Sage-grouse is listed as an Endangered species in Canada under the Canadian Species at Risk Act. As such, there are legal requirements to define residences, identify critical habitat, complete a recovery strategy, and complete an action plan for this species. To date, breeding areas or leks and nests have been defined and described as residences and the descriptions have been posted on the Environment Canada web site. A recovery strategy is in the final stages of completion. Critical habitat and an action plan will be the next projects the National Greater Sage-grouse Recovery Team tackles.
A considerable amount of work has been done for Greater Sage-grouse conservation in Saskatchewan in the past decade. Much of the work is a result of cooperation among various federal, provincial, and non-governmental agencies. Collaborative efforts allow work to proceed that is considered too onerous for any agency to accomplish on its own.
Habitat evaluations have been done in Saskatchewan over the past decade. A landscape level sagebrush-mapping project covering much of the occupied Greater Sage-grouse range was conducted. Methods used were identical to an earlier project done in Alberta. This mapping project provided seamless inter-jurisdictional information on silver sagebrush habitat quality and distribution. The preferred habitat types evaluated help in selecting habitat improvement sites.

The effects of grazing management on vegetation composition, structure, and abundance in Greater Sage-grouse habitat have also been studied. Modest differences were noted between grazed and un-grazed pastures for most of the features evaluated. Bare ground was greater in grazed areas, whereas vertical cover and forb species richness were greater in un-grazed areas. Forbs are plants that have non-woody stems but they are not grass. Forb examples include flowers, herbs, vegetables and silver sage. Vertical cover provides shelter and obscurity for the birds and their nests. Forbs are very important forage for chicks. The differences indicate that variety in grazing management would benefit Greater Sage-grouse.

Land use changes, vegetation characteristics and water availability were compared in areas around occupied and abandoned leks. Significantly more and larger silver sagebrush plants, marginally more natural water sources, but fewer mats forming forb cover were found within 3.2km. Of occupied leks than around abandoned leks. In addition, the land conversion rate from native cover to cropland around leks peaked between 1955 to 1971 and has remained very low since the 1980's.

Greater Sage-grouse are considered sagebrush obligates and require the plants for food, shelter, and nesting cover. Cover of silver sagebrush was quite low in both in comparison to that provided in big sagebrush habitats, but considerably better around occupied leks. Natural water sources are important for silver sagebrush rejuvenation and for wet meadows that are frequented by broods.

A population genetics study that compares DNA from birds in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Montana is ongoing. This study will provide a genetic evaluation of the relationships among Greater Sage-grouse in the northern part of the Great Plains. It may also help to identify subpopulations and any hybridization effects. This information will be of use in managing populations.

A telemetry study using satellite transmitters on Greater Sage-grouse in northern Montana is also underway. This will be the second year of fieldwork for this project. As the monitored birds are in northern Montana, they may enter Saskatchewan. It is hoped that the project will provide specific data on nest site use and habitat use by foraging hens and chicks, and other behaviour and habitat information.

In addition, there are proposals to evaluate the effects of hydrological impediments on the rejuvenation of silver sagebrush in overflow areas and to evaluate the effects of petroleum industry activities on species at risk.

Habitat stewardship programs in areas that are important to Greater Sage-grouse are valuable conservation tools. Working with local landowners to protect and enhance habitat for Greater Sage-grouse and livestock may improve the nesting success, and brood survival of this species. Improvements in reproductive success are crucial to the recovery of this species