I have just wrapped up a 9-day northern grouse tour. On this trip I have put over 2,000 miles on my truck in hopes of finding and photographing the four grouse species found in the upper Midwest. These are the Greater Prairie Chicken, the Sharp-tailed Grouse, Spruce Grouse and the Ruffed Grouse.

Grouse are in the order of Galliformes and in the family of Phasianidae. They are commonly referred to as the “Chicken-like birds” because they appear very similar to chickens. This group of birds is found in the Northern Hemisphere and inhabit temperate and subarctic regions. Interestingly, the Turkey is closely allied with grouse but have been excluded and placed in their own family.

Early spring (April and beginning of May) is when all four of these species engage in interesting mating rituals, which usually involves the male performing an elaborate display to attract females and prove that he is physically fit and would make good offspring.

The Greater Prairie Chicken males gather in spring on a traditional performance ground called a lek. The lekking behavior takes place in an area, usually on open ground, and is usually no more than 100 feet across, that is used every spring (historical) where the males gather together and display (dance) as a group to attract females. For Greater Prairie Chickens the lek is sometimes called a “booming ground” because the males give a low frequency sound that some believe sounds like booming. I don’t hear it as a boom, but I understand the sentiment.

Individual males will square off with another male. Both will crouch down and make some clucking sounds. Then one will lunge for the other and a small fight or battle breaks out. Usually, one tries to peck and bite the other. Females walk into the lekking ground to watch the male’s display. When this happens the males often stop fighting and concentrate on displaying. Females are often chased around the lek by eager males, which never amounts to any mating activity.

When male Greater Prairie Chickens display, they lean forward, drooping their wings so they are along their sides, nearly touching the ground. They have prominent long feathers along their neck, called pinnae feathers. They raise these pinnae feathers to reveal an air sack called the gular sac, that is reddish to orange in color. The male inflates the air sack, causing the sack to bulge outwards. The males also have large yellow eye-combs which become enlarged while displaying.

In order to capture images of these birds, we had to arrive in the dark, set up a very small one-person chair blind. Next, we would set up our tripod and camera gear which includes a very large and long lens. The objective is to be far enough away, so the birds have natural behaviors but close enough to be able to capture high quality images. We would wait in the dark for the light to come up and the male grouse would enter the dancing arena one by one. Often, they would run into the lek while others flew. The moment the birds arrive they start to display / dance and give their characteristic calls. The dancing and displaying goes on for two to three hours. Slowly the individual males would walk off the lek and into the tall grass surrounding the lek. Eventually all the males leave, which allows me to get out of my blind. What an amazing experience to see, hear and document. Until next time…

Stan Tekiela is an author / naturalist and wildlife photographer who travels the world to capture images of wildlife. He can be followed at www.Instagram.com and www.Facebook.com. He can be contacted via his website at www.NatureSmart.com.