The greater sage grouse is the largest North American grouse; Lewis and Clark called it "cock of the plains." Aptly named, the sage grouse is dependent on sagebrush: It winters in sagebrush, mates in sagebrush, nests in sagebrush, and eats sagebrush. As sage-steppe landscapes are increasingly degraded, wilderness protection for areas like the Owyhee Canyonlands in Idaho is needed to ensure the sage grouse has the habitat it requires to survive.

Western sage grouse (subspecies) is a federal candidate.