[Birdtalk] Sharp-tailed Grouse in Paradise

[FERGUS, Rob]

While visiting family for the holidays in Cache Valley yesterday, I made a quick trip down to Paradise and within a few minutes was easily able to locate 4 Sharp-tailed Grouse flying down from the bench and over the yards on the east side of town about 8:30am.  I then refound 6 birds perched in trees in yards close to the road on 9000 E.  Quite a shock for me to see these prairie grouse as residential yard birds.  There was also an immature Northern Shrike working the treetops in the area.

An hour later, I was able to only refind one grouse in the top of a pine tree behind a house in the same area.  My guess is there were more dogs and people around at that point in the morning and the birds had moved around a bit.

An hour driving the snowy roads of Paradise beats hours of traipsing through tall grass to find these birds in the spring and summer.


Rob Fergus
Senior Scientist | Urban Bird Conservation
National Audubon Society
545 Almshouse Road, Ivyland PA 18974

Phone: 215 355 9588 x17





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