News Release

Lostwood Wetland Management District Complex

8315 Hwy 8

Kenmare, ND 58746

For Immediate Release                                                                                     April 6th, 2009

Contact: Dave Gillund   701-848-2466 x16

Come borrow our binoculars to see the Awaited Dance of the Sharp-Tailed Grouse

The time is upon us when many migratory bird species are returning to our area of the Missouri Coteau.  It is the time when one of our resident bird species participates in “the courtship dance”.  The dancers are male sharp-tailed grouse, intent on impressing females of the species with their elaborate struts and calls.

Males start to gather on dancing sites called “leks” in the early morning before sunrise.  Leks usually are located on hilltops with short grass, of mostly native prairie, so the grouse can easily see approaching predators.  The males are here for one purpose: to attract the attention females that have gathered around the lek’s outer edges.  Females do not participate in the dance, and coyly pretend not to notice dancing males.  However, they are definitely part of the scene.  As females choose their mates, they move to the center of the lek to mate with dominant dancing males.

Peak periods to observe these astounding Sharp-tailed Grouse mating rituals are in late April to early May.  Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge staff have positioned a grouse observation blind near a lek along the Lostwood Auto Tour Route and invites the public to enjoy the sights and sounds of the sharp-tailed grouse.  Interested individuals should plan on arriving at the observation blind an hour before daylight and remaining in the blind until mid-morning, so as not to disturb the grouse.  The blind is large enough to accommodate 4 people and is located 2.2 miles north of highway 50, or 5.5 miles south of the refuge headquarters, just follow the tour route until you see the small sign.  Individuals should remember to dress accordingly, and to leave the landscape as they found it.

Visitors to Lostwood can borrow binoculars and bird guides during their visits. Vortex Optics, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt publishers and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation provided the optics, field guides and funding for a national program to maximize visitors’ enjoyment of public lands.  Lostwood received four sets of binoculars and several field guides.  Visitors must return the binoculars and field guides to the office before they leave the refuge.  

National wildlife refuges across the country are home to more than 700 bird species, including 226 bird species here at Lostwood.  Other exciting bird species such as Sprague’s Pipits, Baird and LeConte’s Sparrows are frequently seen at the refuge during spring and summer months.

Please call ahead to reserve the grouse observation blind.  The blind will be open to the public as soon as the snow melts off the Auto Tour Route.  The Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge headquarters is located 21 miles north of Stanley, North Dakota, along State Highway 8.  Our office hours are 7:30 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday except for Federal holidays.  The headquarters phone number is 701-848-2466.