Sharp tailed Grouse Lek, Namekagon Barrens, Wisconsin
Every spring, Sharptailed 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 lifeanddeath 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 Sharptailed Grouse lek is dependent upon fire. Prairie fires maintain bushland prairie habitats favored by the
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