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Gunnison Sage-Grouse Sounds

Overview
ID info
Life History
Maps
Sounds

© DAVID BROWN / Macaulay Library Colorado, April 13, 2009

Lekking
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ColoradoRecorded by Andrew Spencer / Macaulay Library
Lekking
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Colorado, April 01, 2009Recorded by Gerrit Vyn / Macaulay Library
Calls
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ColoradoRecorded by Andrew Spencer / Macaulay Library
Calls
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ColoradoRecorded by Andrew Spencer / Macaulay Library
Calls
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ColoradoRecorded by Andrew Spencer / Macaulay Library

Sounds provided by Macaulay Library.
Listen to more sounds of this species from the ML archive.

Calls

Off the lek, males make a soft wut call when warning others of predators. Females give a variety of calls, though their function has not been well studied. When accompanying a brood, females have both a contact call, and a call to warn their young of danger. To distract or confront a predator, they use a loud hissing call. Females also call when soliciting males on the lek.

Other Sounds

The outlandish male strutting display is a complex, finely timed sequence of sounds, both vocal and mechanical. It begins with three wing shushes, separated by about one second, that are achieved by the male heaving his vocal sacs, enclosed in a neck pouch, through his wings that are held rigidly at his side. The shush sound is produced when the rough feathers on the neck pouch are dragged through his wings, and is only heard when the bird is very close by. In between the wing shushs are a set of low coos and pops that collectively sound like a bubbling. After the three shushes, the male expels air from his esophageal sac, making a burp-like sound, and shimmies his tail.

Compare with Similar Species

Click on an image to compare

Compare the Greater Sage-Grouse Male to the Gunnison Sage-Grouse

Greater Sage-Grouse

Compare the Greater Sage-Grouse Female to the Gunnison Sage-Grouse

Greater Sage-Grouse

Compare the Sharp-tailed Grouse Female to the Gunnison Sage-Grouse

Sharp-tailed Grouse

Compare the Dusky Grouse Female to the Gunnison Sage-Grouse

Compare the Dusky Grouse Male to the Gunnison Sage-Grouse

Compare the Sooty Grouse Female to the Gunnison Sage-Grouse

Compare the Ring-necked Pheasant Female to the Gunnison Sage-Grouse

Ring-necked Pheasant

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Species in This Family

Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies(Order: Galliformes, Family: Phasianidae)

Greater Sage-Grouse

Gunnison Sage-Grouse

Sharp-tailed Grouse

Greater Prairie-Chicken

Lesser Prairie-Chicken

White-tailed Ptarmigan

Willow Ptarmigan

Ring-necked Pheasant

Browse Species in This Family

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Two Florida Scrub-Jays sit perched on a charred tree stub. — Florida Scrub-Jay by Matt Zuro / Macaulay Library