Steppe grouse (SciiFii)

The steppe grouse (Centrocercus americanum) is a species of sage-grouse (Centrocercus), most closely related to the greater sage-grouse, that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the open woodlands, grasslands (including steppes), shrublands, and scrublands across the western Canada, United States, and Mexico to help boost biodiversity. Adult steppe grouse have a long, pointed tail and legs with feathers to the toes. The adult male has a yellow patch over each eye, is grayish on top with a white breast, and has a dark brown throat and a black belly; two yellowish sacs on the neck are inflated during courtship display. The adult female is mottled gray-brown with a light brown throat and dark belly. Adult males range in length from 26 to 30 inches and weigh between 4 and 7 pounds. Adult females are smaller, ranging in length from 19 to 23 inches and weighing between 2 and 4 pounds. Adult steppe grouse are predominantly herbivores and mainly feed on buds, flowers, and seeds of different plants, however, the young feed mostly on insects, which provide protein for the growing birds. As the birds grow into adults, they make the transition from insectivore to herbivore. Unlike other sage-grouse species, steppe grouse actually swallow and hold gizzard stones; rocks that sit in a bird's gastrointestinal tract; so they are able to digest seeds. Male steppe grouse assemble at communal display grounds—called leks—to strut their stuff in the hopes of wooing a female. To make a good impression, the males fan out their spiked tail feathers and inflate their bright, bulbous chest sacs. When the bird inhales enough air to fill the sacs, his chest almost resembles a pair of sunny-side-up eggs. The male’s dance includes swishing his wings and letting out a series of low cooing sounds. The coos are followed by two popping sounds with a whistle in between. As a finale, the male raises his head and lets out a huffing sound. Females also produce calls to get the attention of males on the leks. After males have performed their displays and a female’s mated with a chosen male, the female assembles a bowl-shaped nest under a large plant and lines it with leaves, grasses, twigs, feathers, and forbs. She may lay anywhere between 5 and 13 eggs per clutch. Eggs hatch after roughly 25 to 30 days of incubation. Within minutes of hatching, a chick is able to feed itself. Chicks usually begin to fly when they’re between two and three weeks old. Females raise their chicks until the fall, when steppe grouse split into their winter flocks. On average the wild steppe grouse live between three and seven years, though some can live up to ten years, and the captive specimens can live to more than 12 years. The conservation status of the steppe grouse is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the steppe grouse's wide range and, unlike most other sage-grouse species, its tolerance to many of the human activities.