Male Blue Grouse

This time of year all species of grouse are in the mating mood. We also have sage grouse that have leks on certain mesa's and are protected from traffic. This particular grouse are quite tame. It's a wonder there are so many. The red tail hawk, coyotes, red fox and golden eagles are their main predators. They thrive on blue sage and there are thousands of acres. Last fall we were able to walk within 4 feet of the birds and they wouldn't fly. This is the first time I've seen the bird strutting his chest looking for a mate. This photo was taken at 6' away.