Watercolor portrait of Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus)

Sharp-tailed Grouse

Tympanuchus phasianellus
Sharp-tailed Grouse are year-round resid… It favors open country: native prairie,… Uncommon Lek cooing and rattling

Learn to identify the Sharp-tailed Grouse by ear. Master the "brrr-coo, brrr-coo!" phrase and tell it apart from similar species.

“brrr-coo, brrr-coo!”

What the Sharp-tailed Grouse sounds like

A lean, beautifully patterned prairie grouse with a neat pointed tail and a dancer’s swagger. In spring, males gather on open display grounds and stamp, rattle, and whirl in one of the grassland’s wildest shows.

“brrr-coo, brrr-coo!”

How to tell it apart

Listen for:The classic spring sound from a displaying male: low coos mixed with dry rattles and rapid foot-stomping. It carries best across calm prairie at dawn. Often written as “brrr-coo, brrr-coo!”.
Don't confuse with:The Greater Prairie-Chicken — tail is shorter and more rounded, not sharply pointed.

Where you'll hear it

It favors open country: native prairie, shrubby grasslands, rolling plains, and park-like edges of aspen or sage. Look for it where grass stays broad and low, with room to see and display.

Spring is peak drama, when males boom, rattle, and dance on leks at dawn. In winter, flocks gather to feed in shrubs and trees, then burrow into snow or hunker down out of the wind.

Similar species

Greater Prairie-Chicken

Tail is shorter and more rounded, not sharply pointed.

Ruffed Grouse

Lives mostly in woods, not open prairie.

Greater Sage-Grouse

Much larger and bulkier, with a very different bold black-and-white display.

Sharp-tailed Grouse song FAQ

What does a Sharp-tailed Grouse sound like?
The classic spring sound from a displaying male: low coos mixed with dry rattles and rapid foot-stomping. It carries best across calm prairie at dawn. Listen for the "brrr-coo, brrr-coo!" phrase.
How do I tell a Sharp-tailed Grouse from a Greater Prairie-Chicken by sound?
Greater Prairie-Chicken: Tail is shorter and more rounded, not sharply pointed.; Displays with orange neck sacs rather than purple.; Usually looks chunkier and darker overall..
When is the best time to hear a Sharp-tailed Grouse?
Spring is peak drama, when males boom, rattle, and dance on leks at dawn. In winter, flocks gather to feed in shrubs and trees, then burrow into snow or hunker down out of the wind.