Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units Program: Oregon
Education, Research and Technical Assistance for Managing Our Natural Resources

Sooty Grouse are a harvested species in Oregon, but there is currently no protocol in place for monitoring populations. In collaboration with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, this project investigated the feasibility of a roadside survey during the spring to index populations based on the number of calling males heard along specified routes. In a pilot study, we first estimated encounter rates (birds detected per calling station), calling rates (calls per minute), and detection distances (distance in meters from calling station) of male sooty grouse within a portion of their range in western Oregon. Results from the pilot study provided the technical information needed to design an operational survey to index relative sooty grouse population size in the Coast Range, western Cascades, and Klamath provinces of Oregon based on encounter rates of vocalizing males. ODFW has since implemented this survey approach and is using it to monitor sooty grouse populations in the state.