Diurnal space use and seasonal movement patterns of greater sage-grouse in Northeastern California

Abstract

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) populations have declined throughout their geographic range, are considered a candidate species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, and are regarded as a species of special concern in California, USA. Demographic parameters have been well-documented for this species, but populations occupying the western periphery of their range have largely remained unstudied. We examined diurnal space use and seasonal movement patterns of greater sage-grouse in northeastern California. We collected 3,072 diurnal locations from 132 greater sage-grouse radiomarked between 2007 and 2009. Greater sage-grouse in our study used large areas and exhibited wide-ranging seasonal movements. Female greater sage-grouse sought suitable nesting habitat within 5 km of a lek; however, of the 27% (n = 20/74) of females nesting >5 km from an occupied lek site, 53% (n = 10/19) nested successfully. This suggests the proportion of nesting females located >5 km from an active lek is important for population viability in northeastern California. Moreover, the annual range of movements indicates that conserving greater sage-grouse habitat within 5 km of active lek sites is insufficient to maintain long-term population persistence. Larger areas of habitat are needed to conserve greater sage-grouse in northeastern California to accommodate seasonal movements, annual variation in habitat requirements, and to maintain connectivity between lek complexes. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.