Focus on Leks Center of yearround activity Breeding

Focus on Leks • Center of year-round activity • Breeding – Foraging – Wintering • • • Persistent core leks, transient satellite leks Predictable, visible, audible Makes sense, but need to know how Sage Grouse habitat around and between leks

Part I: Lek to Nest Distances Part II: Nest to Nest Distances

Lek to Nest Distances • Nest-Trap Lek • Nest-Nearest Lek • Hen movement • Density / Spatial configuration of leks – More, closer together • Spatial configuration of habitat • Effect of unknown leks • Only use first-nest locations • Pre-project expectations: random, 1 -3 km

n=238 n=37 n=87 n=114

Distance of First Nests to Trap Lek, All Sites and Years n=238

Distance of First Nest From Trap Lek 2001 -2003 CMR n=70 Little Horse n=58 Dry Fork n=43 Sun Prairie n=65

Recap Part I • Hens nest further from leks than expected • Mean distance varies somewhat by site, not by year • Mean = 4. 7 km from Trap • Need a 4 km lek radius to capture 50% of first nests, 40% were >5 km from trap lek

Part I: Lek to Nest Distances Part II: Nest to Nest Distances Successive First Nests Between Years Renests Within a Year

Distance Between First Nests in Successive Years – Does Fate Matter? n=38 n=52 n=14

Movement and Renest Fate n=47 n=25 n=22

Recap Part II • A hen’s first nest attempt in one year will likely be close to her first nest the year before (median = 602 m) • For first nests, fate matters – Hens appear to nest closer to prior year’s first nest if it hatched (median = 323 m) than if it failed (median = 682 m) • Renesting: Close to first nest (median = 580 m), distance moved doesn’t influence fate of renest

Recap Part III • Already saw: – Birds nest close to previous year’s location – Birds renest close to first attempt that year • Saw here: two types of nest-area fidelity: – Single area: all nests within a single small locality – Dual-area: One area for first nests, another for renests – Implies spatial awareness, non-random decisions – Some determined by fate

Overall Summary • Hens nest further from leks than expected, though leks are central • Nest area fidelity between and within years • Though lek-nest distances are variable, there is an element of stability

Implications • Appropriate to continue targeting conservation efforts around leks, but increase scale – Requires coordination of varied ownerships/ jurisdictions – BLM: 52% of total SG range – State-Private coordination

Implications • For max benefit for max number of birds: – Areas with high densities of leks – Large leks • Also consider: – brood movements – wintering areas