A Morning on a Greater Sage-Grouse Lek

Greater Sage-Grouse are one of the most iconic birds of the American West. Each spring across the sagebrush steppe, they gather at mating grounds, called leks. There, males perform incredible courtship displays for onlooking females.

Being on a sage-grouse lek is a surreal experience. As the morning shifts from darkness, to dawn, to sunrise, you’re immersed in unimaginable sights and sounds. The calm, the excitement, the wonder; every aspect of it is unforgettable.

Sadly, very few people get to visit a lek. Most leks are in remote areas. They require you to get up before dawn and sit in the cold for hours. Opportunities to do so are also decreasing as sage-grouse populations and quality sagebrush habitat disappear across the West, revealed by recent scientific reports.

To conserve this species and ecosystem, we need to build stronger social connections to it. I created this video for the National Audubon Society to share the magic of sage-grouse with large audiences, and thereby build support for its conservation.