The Greater Sage-Grouse lives in sagebrush plains of western North America. During the breeding season, males gather and display to females.
At display sites, males fan their tails and inflate the yellow air sacs on their chests.
Brooding Greater Sage-Grouse use feeding areas and shrub-covered resting places. Vegetation offers concealment and creates patches that buffer heat within open rangeland.
Researchers tracked 24 broods across Oregon, California and Nevada in 2018–2019, comparing vegetation and temperatures at morning feeding and afternoon resting sites measured several days after use.
Resting sites buffered thermal extremes better than feeding sites. Models predicted cooler afternoon conditions there during hot weather for young broods, linking feeding opportunities with thermal shelter.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
The authors recommend vegetation with varied structure, providing feeding opportunities alongside concealed thermal refuges for broods.