Sharp-tailed Grouse
Sharp-tailed Grouse has risen sharply: up 63% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
About the Sharp-tailed Grouse
The Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) is a North American member of the Pheasants, Grouse & Turkeys (Phasianidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the game birds.
- Size
- 12–47 in long (30–120 cm) — a ground-dwelling game bird (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Fields, brushland, prairie and the forest floor, where it forages and nests on the ground.
- Diet
- Seeds, grain, buds, leaves and insects gathered on the ground.
- Range
- Recorded on 222 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 13 states, most concentrated in the Badlands and Prairies.
- Family
- Phasianidae · Game birds
Notable Sharp-tailed Grouse Trends
Sharp-tailed Grouse has risen sharply in surveyed states: up 63% on the route-weighted index since 1969.
Sharp-tailed Grouse Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Sharp-tailed Grouse is projected to fall about 43% by 2029 — from 0.13 in 2024 to a central estimate of 0.07 (95% range 0.03–0.12). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±33%, with 60% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.07 | 0.03 | 0.12 |
| 2026 | 0.07 | 0.03 | 0.12 |
| 2027 | 0.07 | 0.03 | 0.12 |
| 2028 | 0.07 | 0.03 | 0.12 |
| 2029 | 0.07 | 0.03 | 0.12 |
Where the Sharp-tailed Grouse Is Detected
BBS routes recording Sharp-tailed Grouse, sized by most recent count.
Sharp-tailed Grouse Population Trend by State
| Alaska | insufficient data | n/a | 5 |
| Colorado | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Idaho | -90% | 1990 | 4 |
| Michigan | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Minnesota | +124% | 1978 | 16 |
| Montana | +13% | 1970 | 57 |
| Nebraska | -58% | 1969 | 24 |
| North Dakota | +12% | 1969 | 45 |
| South Dakota | +248% | 1970 | 41 |
| Utah | insufficient data | n/a | 2 |
| Washington | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Wisconsin | -29% | 1972 | 7 |
| Wyoming | +56% | 1984 | 17 |
Sharp-tailed Grouse Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Great Basin | -83% | 1989 | 5 |
| Northern Rockies | -63% | 1975 | 9 |
| Prairie Potholes | +106% | 1969 | 66 |
| Boreal Hardwood Transition | +999% | 1972 | 17 |
| Badlands and Prairies | +27% | 1970 | 93 |
| Shortgrass Prairie | -42% | 1983 | 10 |
| Central Mixed Grass Prairie | -35% | 1969 | 15 |
Sharp-tailed Grouse Conservation Status
Our route-weighted index shows it up about 63% since 1969.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.