A huge thanks to my friend Ron Hayes, I had an amazing four days in Wyoming.
The 11 western states with sagebrush-steppe habitat and sage grouse are Oregon, Washington, California (northern), Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, North and South Dakota.
The Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) is a large grouse with a chubby, round body, small head, and long tail. Males change shape dramatically when they display, becoming almost spherical as they puff up their chest, droop their wings, and fan their tail into a starburst.
On the Lek Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) Native to North America, the grouse is famed for its elaborate courtship display, which is imitated by Native Americans during their traditional dances.
On the mountain ridge top Pronghorn Antelope (Antilocapra americana) It is often considered the second-fastest land animal behind the cheetah. It developed its speed to evade Primitive cheetahs, which chased antelope-like pronghorns over miles of grasslands, while mastodons roamed in dense herds. But suddenly, around 11,000 years ago, almost all of these cheetah species died.
Pronghorn Antelope (Antilocapra americana) were brought to scientific notice by the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which found them in what is now South Dakota, USA. The range extends from southern Saskatchewan and Alberta in Canada south through the United States.
Burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia) are so named because they live underground in burrows that have been dug out by small mammals like ground squirrels and prairie dogs.
Female Arctic Great-horned Owl (Bubo Virginianus Subarcticus ) – a subspecies of the Great-horned owl.
Until the next adventure.
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