The greater sage-grouse is a large ground-dwelling bird found in the sagebrush habitats of the western United States and southern Canada. As explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark made their famous expedition across the American West from 1804 to 1806, they documented many new plants and animals unknown to science at the time, including the greater sage-grouse. In their journals and communications back east, Lewis and Clark provided some of the earliest written accounts of observing this iconic bird of the sagebrush sea.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson shortly after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Jefferson tasked Lewis and Clark with exploring and mapping the newly acquired territory, as well as documenting the geography, natural resources, Native American tribes, and wildlife they encountered along the way.
The expedition officially began near St. Louis in May 1804 and ended back in St. Louis in September 1806, lasting over two years and covering around 8,000 miles across the western two-thirds of the United States. The journey took Lewis and Clark across the Great Plains, through the Rocky Mountains, and to the Pacific Coast. Along the route they followed the Missouri River northwest to its headwaters, then crossed the Continental Divide and followed the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean.
Expedition Route and Timeline
Here is an overview of the route that Lewis and Clark traveled and major timeline landmarks:
May 1804 | Expedition departs from Camp Dubois near St. Louis |
August 1804 | Reaches confluence of Missouri and Osage Rivers in western Missouri |
October 1804 | Passes through land of Mandan and Hidatsa tribes in central North Dakota |
April 1805 | Reaches beginning of Rocky Mountains in western Montana |
June 1805 | Crosses Continental Divide at Lemhi Pass into Idaho and meets Sacagawea |
October 1805 | Reaches Pacific Ocean at mouth of Columbia River |
March 1806 | Begins return journey east along Columbia |
June 1806 | Splits into two groups with Lewis exploring Marias River |
August 1806 | Groups reunite and head south along Missouri |
September 1806 | Returns to St. Louis, expedition ends |
This path took them through a great variety of landscapes and ecosystems across the American West, ranging from the Great Plains grasslands to the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific rainforests. It was along this diverse route that they documented many animal and plant species for the first time, including the greater sage-grouse.
Early Lewis and Clark Observations of Sage-Grouse
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark first mentioned what was very likely the greater sage-grouse in their journal entries and correspondence from 1805 as they traveled across the northern Great Plains and into the Rocky Mountains.
May 1805: First Sage-Grouse Reference
The first reference likely indicating the greater sage-grouse comes from Meriwether Lewis on May 5th, 1805. Traveling along the Missouri River in present-day North Dakota, he notes seeing “a hen of the brown pheasant” fly across the river. The greater sage-grouse is sometimes referred to as the sage hen, so his description matches the female greater sage-grouse.
May 21, 1805: Lewis Describes Sage-Grouse Habitat
A more definitive sage-grouse sighting occurs in Lewis’ May 21st entry where he writes:
“I saw a flock of the mountain cock or a large species of heath hen with a long pointed tail which the Indians informed me were common to the Rockey mountains.”
Lewis goes on to describe the habitat where he spotted the birds:
“I had an opportunity of seeing near the river since my arrival here abundance of goats, several herds of the Bighorned Animale, and the moubtin cock or heath hen of which there are two species, the small kind frequent the timbered river and creek bottoms, the large keepe entirely in the open plains.”
The “heath hen” description and association with sagebrush plains environments matches the greater sage-grouse. His distinction between mountain and plains varieties indicates he likely saw both the greater sage-grouse and the closely related Gunnison sage-grouse.
May 29, 1805: Sage-Grouse Display Described
The most detailed early account from Lewis and Clark comes from May 29th, 1805 when Lewis describes seeing the mating displays of the greater sage-grouse, which he calls the “heath cock”:
“This morning I saw near the river a hen of the heath cock…some few males were strutting about making a pompous show of their plumage.”
Lewis goes on to vividly describe a mating ritual display where the male fans its tail feathers and inflates two yellowish colored sacs on its neck. This distinct display confirms that Lewis and Clark were observing the greater sage-grouse’s elaborate mating ritual during their travels across the northern Great Plains.
Later Observations and Specimens
As Lewis and Clark continued west into the Rocky Mountains and crossed the Continental Divide, they continued to record observations of sage-grouse in the plains and meadows along their route.
June 1805: Sage-Grouse West of Divide
In June 1805, not long after crossing the Continental Divide in Montana, Lewis recorded multiple observations of greater sage-grouse near the Lemhi Pass and along the Salmon River in Idaho. His notes indicate they had moved into the sagebrush steppe habitats typical of the intermountain west.
August 1806: Sage-Grouse Specimens East of Divide
On the return journey in August 1806, Lewis and Clark collected some of the first physical specimens of greater sage-grouse near the Yellowstone River in Montana, east of the Continental Divide. Lewis inspected the specimens closely and provided detailed descriptions of the bird’s physical appearance and dimensions. These preserved samples provided proof and documentation of the new bird species when the expedition returned east.
Scientific Designation
Though Lewis and Clark made detailed journal observations and preserved physical specimens, the greater sage-grouse went unnamed scientifically for several more decades.
1815: First Scientific Description
The greater sage-grouse was first scientifically described and classified by naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte (nephew of Napoleon) in 1815. He gave the bird the scientific name Tetrao urophasianus, classifying it as a relative of forest grouse species within the Tetrao genus.
1857: Genus Centrocercus Established
In 1857, the genus Centrocercus was created specifically for the greater sage-grouse and its close relative the Gunnison sage-grouse. The greater sage-grouse was given its current scientific name Centrocercus urophasianus within this new genus.
So while Lewis and Clark were the first European explorers to document the bird in detail, it took later naturalists to officially classify and name the greater sage-grouse as recognized by science today. The accounts and specimens from the expedition were critical early records that helped identify it as a new species inhabiting the American West.
Significance for Species
The Lewis and Clark observations and documentation provided important early records of the greater sage-grouse’s appearance and habitat right at the time European settlement of the American West was beginning in the early 19th century.
Some key ways the expedition’s sage-grouse records contributed to understanding the species include:
- Detailed written descriptions of behavior and ecology
- Observations across much of the species’ range
- Physical specimens as proof of new species
- Provided basis for eventual scientific classification
- Established baseline as settlement began altering habitat
As overhunting and habitat loss severely impacted sage-grouse populations in the decades that followed, the Lewis and Clark accounts helped confirm how abundant and widespread the sage-grouse had been prior to major European impacts. Their observations from the expedition remain an important early baseline documenting the species across its native range.
Greater Sage-Grouse Today
Currently the greater sage-grouse is estimated to occupy about half of its historic range. Populations have declined from an estimated 16 million birds in the 19th century to around 200,000 to 500,000 today.
Threats and Protection
Due to severe population declines in recent decades, conservation and management efforts for the greater sage-grouse have increased. Major threats include:
- Habitat loss from agriculture, urbanization, wildfire
- Fragmentation of habitat
- Spread of invasive species
- Energy development impacts
- Unsustainable grazing practices
- Weather and climate impacts
In 2010 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated the greater sage-grouse as a candidate species for protection under the Endangered Species Act. Federal and state conservation plans have focused on protecting remaining habitat and minimizing disturbances.
Some sage-grouse conservation measures include:
- Restoring and improving sagebrush habitat
- Working with landowners on sustainable grazing
- Reconnecting fragmented habitat
- Seasonal restrictions on development
- Reducing invasive grasses
Ongoing efforts and collaboration between government agencies, landowners, industry, and conservation groups seek to protect key strongholds and prevent the greater sage-grouse from becoming threatened with extinction.
Hope for the Future
The iconic greater sage-grouse still faces an uncertain future across much of its historic range. While no longer as abundant as in the days when Lewis and Clark first described them to science, targeted conservation efforts give hope that stable populations can persist. The accounts and specimens from the expedition provide an invaluable glimpse into the past abundance of this species. Ongoing work aims to protect the sagebrush ecosystem and with it the greater sage-grouse into the future.
Conclusion
In summary, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were the first to document and collect specimens of the greater sage-grouse during their 1804-1806 transcontinental expedition. Their detailed written descriptions and physical samples from across the northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountains provided critical early records that contributed to the species’ formal scientific recognition decades later. While greater sage-grouse populations have declined significantly since European settlement, the Lewis and Clark observations help confirm how abundant the species was across the American West at the start of the 19th century. Conservation efforts today use the expedition’s records as an important baseline in working to restore sage-grouse populations and habitat. The essential documentation Lewis and Clark provided on the greater sage-grouse continues to inform management efforts aimed at preserving this iconic bird. Their pioneering accounts and specimens first revealed the greater sage-grouse and its sagebrush habitat to the world.