The Greater Sage-Grouse is a native species found in Canada and the United States. Historically, two subspecies occurred in Canada, but only one remains and occurs in very small numbers. The urophasianus subspecies is restricted to the sagebrush grasslands of southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan. This subspecies was listed as Endangered under the Species at Risk Act in 2003; it was re-assessed as such by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada in 2008 (COSEWIC 2008c). The Canadian population is small and has shown a large and accelerating decline since the 1970s. In 2013, the Government of Canada issued an Emergancy Order for the Protection of the Greater Sage-Grouse to protect its habitat. The phaios subspecies was formerly found in southern British Columbia. It is considered Extirpated since it has not been observed in the Canadian part of its range for over 100 years (COSEWIC 2008c). This species has been identified as a priority for conservation and/or stewardship in one or more Bird Conservation Region Strategies in Canada.
The primary threats to Greater Sage-Grouse in Canada include habitat loss and fragmentation, drought and extreme weather as a result of climate change, disturbances from human developments such as oil and gas developments, increased predator pressure, habitat degradation as a result of overgrazing by livestock, direct disturbance to lekking and nesting birds, and alteration of local hydrology (Environment Canada 2013). West Nile Virus has also had an impact on Canadian populations, as well as the lack of genetic variability (COSEWIC 2008c). For information on the legal status of this species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and to view the Recovery Strategy, see the Species at Risk Public Registry.
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.