Division of Wildlife
DOW CONDUCTS GREATER SAGE-GROUSE RESEARCH IN MOFFAT COUNTY
Biologists seek greater insight into bird's survival and nesting habits
The Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) is conducting a multi-year study in Moffat County designed to give biologists more insight into the survival rate of greater sage-grouse chicks, their distribution patterns, and nesting habits.
"We're trying to answer some of the questions about greater sage-grouse specific to this part of the country," said Tony Apa, a DOW greater sage-grouse research biologist. "The habitat guidelines that are available are not entirely appropriate for northwest Colorado."
The study is being conducted in cooperation with the Northwest Colorado Sage-grouse Working Group. Scientists hope to gather more information about chick fostering, the species' dispersal mechanisms, and nesting fidelity.
The research is in its first year of implementation, but follows on the heels of a four-year study investigating habitat use, survival, and nesting success in Moffat County. This research is supported by all the partners helping to develop the northwest Colorado Sage-grouse Conservation Plan, which is scheduled for completion in September.
The results of the research to date show a 65-75 percent survival rate for females, which falls within acceptable levels, Apa said.
He said nest success also appears normal, so the focus of the research has shifted to chick survival.
"So far, chick survival in the first 60 days of life looks pretty comparable to other research, between 40-50 percent," Apa said.
These numbers vary from year to year, and a complete picture will require four to five years of research.
The biologists are also developing techniques to better enable them to move birds to vacant habitats or to recover populations that are in trouble or have low genetic diversity.
"It's very hard to move adults," Apa said. "The idea is to collect eggs from the wild, hatch them in captivity, then move the young chicks to 'foster' hens that will raise the chicks as their own in the new area."
The next phase of the research will focus on understanding where the chicks go, how they move around over time, and whether they return to the area in which they were raised or disperse to new areas, which is good for genetic diversity.
Biologists are also watching out for any fatalities that may be caused by West Nile virus.
"The sage-grouse that were tested in Colorado were very susceptible to the disease when given it experimentally, but we don't know whether or to what extent they will be exposed in the wild," Apa said.
Northwest Colorado-principally Moffat County with portions of western Routt and northern Rio Blanco counties-supports the largest population of greater sage-grouse in Colorado. More than 2.6 million acres are occupied by greater sage-grouse in this area, with annual spring male counts exceeding 2,100 grouse in each of the past four years.
The Northwest Colorado Sage-grouse Working Group in Moffat County was formed in 1996 and consists of more than 70 organizations, agencies and individuals.