Greater Sage Grouse Encounter Histories in Modoc County, California 2019 - 2021

The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus: hereafter; sage-grouse) population in Modoc County California is geographically isolated and has been subsidized by translocation to prevent inbreeding depression since 2005. Despite significant efforts to increase the population through translocations and habitat improvement by cutting encroaching western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis), only a single lek remains (from 56 in the 1940s). Since 2017, several large wildfires have occurred within the landscape that led to an increase in invasive grasses and a decrease in sagebrush (Artemisia sp.) cover that has further degraded important nesting and brooding habitat. The data collected consists of monthly encounter histories for adult females, bi-weekly enounter histories for broods, and daily encounter histories for nests from 2019 - 2021.