Sage grouse are North America's largest grouse, with adult males weighing up to eight pounds.
Some examples of wildlife that also depend on the sage-steppe grasslands include pronghorn antelope, mule deer, Swainson's hawk, prairie falcon, jack rabbits, pygmy rabbits, Brewer's sparrow, and the sage thrasher. Sage grouse require various types of sagebrush, ranging from tall, well developed sage for shelter and food during deep winter snows to dense sage thickets with lush native grasses beneath for nesting. Sage grouse chicks need healthy, wet meadows and creek areas rich in insects, forbs and other plants for growth and survival. Many sage grouse populations are migratory, moving hundreds of miles across prairies and even over mountain ranges between summering and wintering areas. All along the way, they require sage-steppe grasslands, so conserving the bird's large migratory corridors also benefits many other wildlife species that are dependent upon less extensive patches of sagebrush.