General Description: Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), also simply called "sage grouse," are large ground birds nearly the size of a turkey. Males are gray-brown overall except a black face and black collar, and they have a long spiky tail. Females are smaller than males and are gray-brown overall. Both genders are counter-shaded with black on the belly.

Taxonomy: Galliformes, Phasianidae, Tetraoninae

Favored Habitat: Open country with sagebrush.

Sage grouse have two kinds of fecal droppings: a black tar-like dropping and a dry, cylindrical pellet dropping. The black, tar-like droppings (cecal tar), which start out green and dry to black, are a result of their unique digestive system that separates toxins (terpenes) from the sagebrush they consume, especially during the winter when their diet consists almost entirely of sagebrush. The yellowish-white, cylindrical pellets (pellets) contain the digested remains of sagebrush leaves. Incubating female sage grouse leave large piles of scat, called clockers, near their nests.

Where to Find: Sage-grouse occur north and east of the Las Vegas area. Look for them in northern Nevada or southern Utah in areas with sagebrush. Sage-Grouse eat sagebrush, so look for them in sagebrush country.

Comments: Some people think Greater Sage-Grouse occur in southern Nevada, but I think they are confused by Chukar or Wild Turkeys, or possibly confused by the black belly on Gambel's Quail.