Alberta Sharp-Tailed Grouse Lek Dance

I spent Monday morning watching and photographing the sharp-tailed grouse strut their stuff on the lek is something you have to see to appreciate.  I was invited by a good friend and fellow photographer Mark Williams to watch the sharp-tailed grouse do their thing on a Alberta prairie lek.

male sharp tailed grouse on lek close up

Two sharp tailed grouse fighting on lek

The Lek is an elevated patch of native prairie grassland and the lek we visited was about 75 feet square but sizes can vary.
Male sharp-tailed grouse, often mistakenly called prairie chickens, gather on a breeding ground called a lek and show off and display themselves for the females. The tough part is being able to find the lek, but once found it is possible to sneak in close and see the grouse lek dance.

two male sharp-tailed grouse fighting

Sharp-Tailed Grouse Dance

With their wings drooping at their sides, their tails pointing straight up, stomping feet and the purple air sacks inflated the male sharp-tailed grouse courtship display is well under way. The longer the bird is able to dance, the more impressed the females are. During the dance or display, many of the males must take breaks to rest. The grouse that rests the least and dances the fastest are dominant and preferred by the females.

male sharp tailed grouse on lek displaying his courtship pose

We didn’t get the sunrise we wanted as it was overcast, but it was still worth every minute.