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Etiquette · Long Valley & Bodie Hills

Sage-grouse lek viewing: rules and timing

Each spring, male Greater Sage-Grouse gather on traditional display grounds called leks to court females. It is one of the great sights in North American birding. In the Eastern Sierra it involves a sensitive population, so viewing comes with clear rules. This page brings together what the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) publish about the birds and about watching them responsibly.

The Bi-State population

The sage-grouse of Mono County, eastern Alpine County and the White Mountains of northern Inyo County belong to the Bi-State population, which extends into neighboring Nevada counties. CDFW says the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has identified it as a Distinct Population Segment. Greater sage-grouse, both range-wide and in the Bi-State population, were found to warrant listing under the Endangered Species Act on March 5, 2010, but listing was precluded by higher-priority species. CDFW says Long Valley and the Bodie Hills hold the two largest and most studied populations in the Bi-State area, and it tracks breeding population trends through lek counts.

When leks are active

Cornell's All About Birds says sage-grouse leks "are most active in the hours just before sunrise in the months of March, April, and May." Males step forward, fan their tails upright, raise yellow feathers over the eye, and rapidly inflate and deflate air sacs on the neck. The popping sounds can carry up to 5 miles. Cornell adds that viewing is typically done from blinds set up before dawn. For California's Long Valley, it advises checking the Eastern Sierra Audubon guide and contacting LADWP before going.

The viewing rules

LADWP's sage-grouse lek viewing policy (November 2014), posted by Eastern Sierra Audubon, sets out these practices:

RuleDetail
Use designated viewing areasView sage-grouse only from designated viewing areas
Keep your distanceStay at least 300 yards from sage-grouse whenever possible
Stay off the lekDo not drive near or onto any lek or meadow area
Lights and engine offWithin 300 yards, turn off vehicle lights and engine as quickly as possible
Stay in the vehicleWhen possible, view from inside your vehicle when within 300 yards
Be quiet and stillMinimize sound and visual disturbance near leks
No petsLeave pets at home
Don't publish locationsDo not post, report or record lek locations online, on mailing lists, or in checklist programs such as eBird
Seasonal closure: under the LADWP policy, access to sage-grouse habitat and leks south of Benton Crossing Road in Long Valley is closed from March 1 through the last Saturday in April. Public viewing is allowed starting the last Saturday in April. Check with LADWP for the current year before you go.

Why the rules are strict

Cornell notes that four North American grassland grouse are Near Threatened or Vulnerable, and urges birders to "follow all guidelines for minimizing disturbance at leks." Leks are where these populations breed, and CDFW relies on lek counts to track them, which is why the LADWP rules focus on noise, light and distance. A viewing brochure from the Eastern Sierra Land Trust, produced with LADWP, adds broader habits: stay on open roads and trails with any vehicle, and keep pets from becoming sage-grouse predators.

Seeing sage-grouse outside lek season

You don't need a lek to see sage-grouse. Mono County's tourism office lists sage-grouse among the birds of Bodie's windswept sagebrush plain and the open flats near Laurel Ponds by Convict Lake. Watch from roads and trails, and give any birds you find room.

Checklist for a lek morning

  1. Confirm current access and any closures with LADWP or the land manager.
  2. Arrive well before first light and park only at a designated viewing area.
  3. Switch off lights and engine, and stay in your vehicle.
  4. Keep at least 300 yards away. Use a spotting scope, not your feet.
  5. Keep noise and movement to a minimum the whole time.
  6. Don't share the location online or in eBird.

For other Mono County sagebrush sites, see the trail sites list.

Sources