- Video by Ronan Donovan @ronan_donovan | [Sound on] Meet a male greater sage grouse as he dances for the privilege to breed. At this time each year across the sagebrush sea of the American West, these birds strut their stuff at dawn. Recent studies have shown that while this bizarre dance is extremely visual, the female sage grouse are focused primarily on the sounds made during this display. The males that sound best to females will earn the right to pass on their genes. In essence, female selection has shaped this display into what it is today. Sagebrush ecosystems have declined over 50 percent in the past hundred years and with them, the greater sage grouse, estimated to have declined by 90 percent. In March 2019, the current administration released plans to loosen protection for the imperiled sage grouse. The plan will affect nine million acres of land, making it easier for oil and gas companies to drill across 10 western states. The architect of this plan is the acting secretary of the Department of the Interior, David Bernhardt, a former oil lobbyist.
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