Sharp-tailed Grouse Lek, Namekagon Barrens, Wisconsin

Every spring, Sharp-tailed Grouse assemble in leks. Males battle for prized dancing areas and display for any hens in the area. The male’s dance is a form of honest signaling, giving the female grouse an opportunity to assess male fitness, a window into his nutrition, life experiences, and genetics. If a hen likes what she sees, she will allow the male to breed with her. For the males, the competition is a life-and-death dance -- while it may not impose any real threat to the individual, it is the filter through which a genetic destiny is run. Not succeeding in this dance means the end of a genetic line. The drama of the Sharp-tailed Grouse lek is dependent upon fire. Prairie fires maintain bushland prairie habitats favored by the birds.