THE HISTORICAL DISTRIBUTION OF GUNNISON SAGE-GROUSE
IN COLORADO
CLAIT E. BRAUN,1,7 SARA J. OYLER-MCCANCE,2 JENNIFER A. NEHRING,3
MICHELLE L. COMMONS,4 JESSICA R. YOUNG,5 AND KIM M. POTTER6

Published by the
Wilson Ornithological Society

 The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 126(2):207–217, 2014

THE HISTORICAL DISTRIBUTION OF GUNNISON SAGE-GROUSE
IN COLORADO
CLAIT E. BRAUN,1,7 SARA J. OYLER-MCCANCE,2 JENNIFER A. NEHRING,3
MICHELLE L. COMMONS,4 JESSICA R. YOUNG,5 AND KIM M. POTTER6
ABSTRACT.—The historical distribution of Gunnison Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus minimus) in Colorado is described
based on published literature, observations, museum specimens, and the known distribution of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.).
Historically, Gunnison Sage-Grouse were widely but patchily distributed in up to 22 counties in south-central and
southwestern Colorado. The historical distribution of this species was south of the Colorado-Eagle river drainages primarily
west of the Continental Divide. Potential contact areas with Greater Sage-Grouse (C. urophasianus) were along the
Colorado-Eagle river system in Mesa, Garfield, and Eagle counties, west of the Continental Divide. Gunnison Sage-Grouse
historically occupied habitats that were naturally highly fragmented by forested mountains and plateaus/mesas,
intermountain basins without robust species of sagebrush, and river systems. This species adapted to use areas with
more deciduous shrubs (i.e., Quercus spp., Amelanchier spp., Prunus spp.) in conjunction with sagebrush. Most areas
historically occupied were small, linear, and patchily distributed within the overall landscape matrix. The exception was the
large intermountain basin in Gunnison, Hinsdale, and Saguache counties. The documented distribution east of the
Continental Divide within the large expanse of the San Luis Valley (Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, and Rio Grande counties)
was minimal and mostly on the eastern, northern, and southern fringes. Many formerly occupied habitat patches were
vacant by the mid 1940s with extirpations continuing to the late 1990s. Counties from which populations were recently
extirpated include Archuleta and Pitkin (1960s), and Eagle, Garfield, Montezuma, and Ouray (1990s). Received 1
November 2013. Accepted 29 January 2014.
Key words: Centrocercus minimus, C. urophasianus, Colorado, Greater Sage-Grouse, Gunnison Sage-Grouse.

The Gunnison Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus
minimus) was not described as a species separate
from Greater Sage-Grouse (C. urophasianus) until
2000 (Young et al. 2000). They were known to
differ from Greater Sage-Grouse by 1977 and
were subsequently investigated in a series of
studies starting in the mid 1980s (Hupp 1987)
and 1990s (Young 1994, Commons 1997, OylerMcCance 1999). These studies characterized
many different aspects including morphology
(Hupp and Braun 1991), behavior (Young et al.
1994), habitat (Commons et al. 1999, OylerMcCance et al. 2001), and genetics (OylerMcCance et al. 1999).
The distribution of sage-grouse in North
America, including Gunnison Sage-Grouse, was
most recently reported by Schroeder et al. (2004)
1

Grouse Inc., Tucson, AZ 85750, USA.
U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center,
2150 Centre Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80526, USA.
3
Wetland Dynamics, LLC., 3393 E County Road, 9 S,
Monte Vista, CO 81144, USA.
4
Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Nampa, ID 83686,
USA.
5
Western State Colorado University, 600 North Adams
Street, Gunnison, CO 81231, USA.
6
USDA Forest Service, 94 County Road, 244, Rifle, CO
81650, USA.
7
Corresponding author; e-mail: sgwtp66@gmail.com
2

while Rogers (1964) and Braun (1995) described
the early distribution of sage-grouse in Colorado.
Young et al. (2000) described the general
historical and current distribution of Gunnison
Sage-Grouse when they formally described the
species. This information is particularly important
as Gunnison Sage-Grouse populations have declined dramatically (Gunnison Sage-Grouse Rangewide Steering Committee 2005) and the species
has been proposed for listing as endangered under
the U.S. Endangered Species Act (USDI 2013).
The oldest fossil evidence of sage-grouse
(Emslie 2004) suggests they existed in Colorado
in the early Pleistocene (,1.6 million years ago).
Anecdotal accounts of sage-grouse in Colorado
are available (Morrison 1888, Cooke 1897, Rockwell 1908, Warren 1909, Sclater 1912, Bergtold
1928) and provide some evidence of where sagegrouse occurred in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Additionally, Rogers (1964) summarized the
distribution of sage-grouse and sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) in Colorado in the late 1950s and early
1960s. These accounts provide important information on the historical distribution of Gunnison
Sage-Grouse. Additional information exists in the
form of museum specimens, personal communications with ranchers and wildlife managers, and
field work specifically searching for evidence of
sage-grouse that can be used to refine the

207

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THE WILSON JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY N Vol. 126, No. 2, June 2014

historical distribution of Gunnison Sage-Grouse in
Colorado. The objectives of this study were to (1)
review all pertinent information regarding Gunnison Sage-Grouse to define the historical distribution in Colorado, and (2) provide the timing of
recent population extirpations.
METHODS
We reviewed the early published literature on
avifauna (and sage-grouse) in Colorado, attempted to locate specimens in museums by circulating
requests in the ornithological literature, and
interviewed people who lived and or worked in
areas depicted as historical range by Rogers
(1964:fig. 1). We also examined historic journals
describing some of the first documented reports of
flora and fauna in areas possibly occupied by
Gunnison Sage-Grouse in the 1800s. Of particular
use was the Beckwith (1855) account of Captain
Gunnison’s explorations (1853–1854) in New
Mexico and Colorado, as well as the Coues
(1898) account of Major Fowler’s 1821–1822
journey through several western states including
Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Colorado.
We conducted field surveys in spring from
1978 as time permitted to spring 1999 in areas
reported by Rogers (1964) to have had sagegrouse. We restricted our investigations to areas
generally south of the Colorado River from the
Colorado-Utah State line east to the junction with
the Eagle River and from there east to the
Continental Divide. We included all sagebrush
habitats south of Interstate 70 east of the
Continental Divide (especially in Lake, Park,
and Chaffee counties), and all areas within the
San Luis Valley to the Colorado-New Mexico
State line and west to the Arizona-Utah State
boundaries. This included all of southwest
Colorado and immediately adjacent counties
within Colorado. We also surveyed and viewed
sage-grouse in all counties (Mesa, Garfield, and
Eagle) immediately north of the Colorado-Eagle
rivers. We selected this area as all sage-grouse
north of the Colorado-Eagle rivers were known to
be Greater Sage-Grouse (Hupp and Braun 1991).
These areas were open (except Mesa County) to
hunting of sage-grouse and data (observations and
wing collections) were available precluding the
presence of Gunnison Sage-Grouse.
RESULTS
The oldest fossil evidence of sage-grouse is
from the early Pleistocene (,1.6 million years

ago) in central Colorado (i.e., Park County, 20 km
northeast of present Salida in Chaffee County)
(Emslie 2004). This is ,35 km northeast of the
present population of Gunnison Sage-Grouse at
Poncha Pass in Saguache County. Early reports
of sage-grouse distribution in Colorado include
Cooke (1897), Sclater (1912), and Bergtold
(1928). Cooke (1897:71) reported that sagegrouse were common residents in Colorado with
a few ranging to 2,896 m in summer and were
much more common in the northern half of the
state. Sclater (1912) reported the presence of
sage-grouse in Gunnison and Mesa counties, near
Cortez in Montezuma County, and in the lower
Trinchera Valley in Costilla County. Bergtold
(1928:97) reported sage-grouse were frequent
residents occurring locally in more northern parts
of Colorado up to 2,743 m in elevation. Rogers
(1964) reported sage-grouse occurred in the
southwestern Colorado counties of Archuleta,
Delta, Dolores, Eagle, Garfield, Gunnison, La
Plata, Mesa, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray,
Pitkin, Saguache, and San Miguel. He also
suggested (1964:9) the eastern slope counties of
Alamosa, Chaffee, Lake, Conejos, Costilla, Rio
Grande, and possibly Huerfano likely contained
sage-grouse.
Rogers (1964:fig. 3) reported on the distribution of sagebrush which was present in southwestern Colorado at Iron Springs Divide, Uncompahgre Plateau, Plateau Creek, Roaring Fork
Valley to Aspen, Lone Cone, Lone Mesa,
Naturita, Cerro Ridge, Somerset, Marshall Pass,
Durango, Crested Butte, Sapinero, Gunnison,
Creede, Poncha Pass, Buena Vista, Leadville,
Hotchkiss, Saguache, Bayfield, Arboles, and
McElmo. Anderson (1969) reported that sagebrush spraying on the Uncompahgre Plateau
resulted in loss (emigration) of the sage-grouse
from the area. J. D. Hart of the Colorado Game
and Fish Department (memo of 1 July 1937 cited
in Rogers [1964:20]), reported slight increases
in sage-grouse in Archuleta, Dolores, Garfield,
Hinsdale, La Plata, Mesa, Montezuma, and
Montrose counties during 1936–1937. Hart also
reported that populations were static in Delta,
Eagle, Gunnison, Mineral, and Saguache counties.
While sage-grouse populations in some counties
had disappeared by 1944 (Rogers 1964:25), the
species was present in Delta, Dolores, Eagle,
Garfield, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Mesa, Montezuma,
Montrose, Ouray, Saguache, and San Miguel
counties in 1961 (Rogers 1964:fig. 9).

 Braun et al. N HISTORICAL DISTRIBUTION OF GUNNISON SAGE-GROUSE

209

TABLE 1. Gunnison Sage-Grouse occurrence in Colorado.
County

Historic
occurrencea

Where

Current
occurrence

Alamosa
Archuleta
Chaffee
Conejos
Costilla
Delta
Dolores
Eagle
Garfield
Gunnison
Hinsdale
Huerfano
La Plata
Mesa
Mineral
Montezuma
Montrose
Ouray
Pitkin
Rio Grande
Saguache
San Miguel

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
??
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Unknown
Multiple Areas
Unknown
Unknown
Trinchera Valley
Multiple Areas
Multiple Areas
Multiple Areas
Multiple Areas
Multiple Areas
Multiple Areas
Unknown
Multiple Areas
Multiple Areas
Unknown
Multiple Areas
Multiple Areas
Multiple Areas
Multiple Areas
Unknown
Multiple Areas
Multiple Areas

No
No
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes

a

When
extirpated

,1942
1960s
1940s
1940s
1930s

By 1998
By 1996

,1930?
,1960
,1940
By 1996
By 1996
By 1965
,1940

Based on Rogers 1964.

Based on a review of the literature, personal
communications with ranchers and wildlife managers, museum specimens (27 from Dolores [1],
Gunnison [11], Mesa [1], Montrose [1], Saguache
[6], and San Miguel [7] counties), and actual
searches for birds, the historical distribution of
Gunnison Sage-Grouse in Colorado (Table 1,
Fig. 1) was as described below.
Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, and Rio Grande
Counties.—Captain J. W. Gunnison reported
‘‘grouse’’ (species not identified) in his 1853
expedition through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and San Luis Valley of Colorado (Beckwith
1855). He arrived in the San Luis Valley from
Huerfano County (to the east), over the Sangre de
Cristo Mountains and then proceeded south to
Taos, New Mexico, through the south end of the
Valley. He returned to Fort Massachusetts (north
of present Fort Garland) and proceeded north to
Poncha Pass and west into the Gunnison Basin
through Saguache County. This travel included at
least Alamosa, Costilla, and Saguache counties,
the southern portion of Chaffee County, and
possibly Conejos and Rio Grande counties. This
report commonly mentioned the presence of
sagebrush (specifically Artemisia) throughout the

area and on two occasions and in two different
locations grouse are mentioned in the San Luis
Valley.
Major Fowler did not mention grouse of any
kind during his travels in the San Luis Valley,
although he mentioned killing other birds for food
(Coues 1898). Sclater (1912) (per Brunner in litt.)
reported the presence of sage-grouse in the lower
Trinchera Valley of Costilla County. Rogers
(1964:20) suggested that sage-grouse persisted in
this county into the late 1930s but may have been
eliminated by subsistence hunting.
Intensive field investigations (by JRY) in 1989
on the Forbes Trinchera Ranch (,657,277 ha of
which ,98,839–123,548 ha appeared to be
potential habitat for sage-grouse) in Costilla
County revealed no evidence of the presence of
sage-grouse. Rogers (1964) reported there was
only limited (,16 km2) sagebrush in Conejos
County. We could not document the presence of
sage-grouse in Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, and
Rio Grande counties (but see Sclater 1912 for
Costilla County), although they are inferred to
have been historically present by Rogers
(1964:fig. 1). The presence of sage-grouse in
these counties was not included on distribution

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THE WILSON JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY N Vol. 126, No. 2, June 2014

FIG. 1. Assumed historical distribution (1961) of Gunnison Sage-Grouse and Greater Sage-Grouse in Colorado
(modified from Rogers 1964).

 Braun et al. N HISTORICAL DISTRIBUTION OF GUNNISON SAGE-GROUSE

maps for 1942 or 1945 (Rogers 1964:22–23).
These populations were likely extirpated in the
late 1930s to early 1940s.
Archuleta County.—Sage-grouse were present
in this county in the early 1940s to at least 1945
(Rogers 1964). Pat Waters of the Colorado Game,
Fish and Parks Department recalled in the early
1970s that sage-grouse had persisted into the early
1960s near Arboles. This population was probably
extirpated as the result of completion and filling
of the Navajo Reservoir in 1962.
Chaffee County.—Captain J. W. Gunnison did
not report any grouse during his brief travels in
1853 north of Poncha Pass into southern Chaffee
County to the Arkansas River (Beckwith 1855).
Rogers (1964) suggested that sage-grouse likely
occurred in Chaffee County as the sage-grouse
hunting season was closed in this county in 1944.
The closest historic record is in Park County to the
northeast dating to the early Pleistocene (Emslie
2004). The closest current record is about 2 km
south of Poncha Pass in Saguache County.
Delta County.—Rogers (1964) indicated sagegrouse were present in the Smith Fork drainage in
the southeast part of Delta County and near Dry
Fork Creek on the Montrose-Delta County
boundary. Gunnison Sage-Grouse were known to
persist in the area (Fruitland Mesa) near Crawford
during 1978 to the present. Counts of males on
leks were made annually during this period and
some birds were radiomarked and studied (Commons 1997).
Dolores County.—Bent (1932:309) reported
sage-grouse near the town of Dolores. They
historically occurred in the western portion of
the county with main concentrations northwest of
Dolores and a scattered population near Dove
Creek and Cahone (Rogers 1964, Bailey and
Niedrach 1965). Rogers (1964) reported that sagegrouse hunting was closed in Dolores County in
1960. A flock of 100 sage-grouse was reported in
the Groundhog Lake area at the head of
Disappointment Creek in 1960. Bill Fischer of
the Colorado Game, Fish and Parks Department
reported (to the senior author) a flock of 52 sagegrouse on Sage Hen Flats along the Dolores River,
on the west edge of Dolores in winter 1976–1977.
This area was to be flooded by construction of a
new reservoir. He believed these birds summered
south of Groundhog Reservoir. Gunnison SageGrouse were radiomarked and studied in the mid
1990s northeast and northwest of Dove Creek
(Commons 1997).

211

Eagle County.—Rogers (1964) reported that
sage-grouse hunting was closed in Eagle County
in 1961. Birds were present south of the ColoradoEagle rivers in 1961 southwest of Gypsum near
the heads of Cattle and Coulter creeks, and near
Missouri Heights (Rogers 1964). These birds were
known to be small-bodied sage-grouse (P. D.
Olson, Colorado Division of Wildlife, pers. obs.).
Kevin L. Berner found a hatched sage-grouse nest
in early July 1979 along the road (Mayer Gulch)
to Hardscrabble Mountain. Tom Verry, working
for the Colorado Division of Wildlife, flushed 3
sage-grouse of unknown sex in Mayer Gulch on
20 March 1991 and a hen on 30 April 1991 on
Bellyache Ridge. Sage-grouse persisted in this
area into the mid to late 1990s, as droppings were
found in several locations (southwest of Brush
Creek, Bellyache Ridge) in 1995 (CEB, SJO-M,
pers. obs.) including near the airport. Displaying
sage-grouse were not heard in an intensive search
using a parabolic ear in spring 1998 by Wildlife
Manager Bill Heicher of the Colorado Division of
Wildlife. The population was likely extirpated in
the late 1990s.
Garfield County.—Rockwell (1908) reported
sage-grouse with young in southern Garfield
County near Mamm Creek. Rogers (1964) reported that the hunting of sage-grouse in Garfield
County was closed in 1958. Birds were present in
1961 south of the Colorado River (Rogers 1964).
Sage-grouse were known to occur in the Cattle
and Coulter creek areas near Cottonwood Pass,
and also in the Dry Park-Jerome Park area west of
the Roaring Fork River and the town of Carbondale (Rogers 1964). T. D. I. Beck of the Colorado
Division of Wildlife reported seeing two small
active leks each with 5–6 birds south of Glenwood
Springs in 1977–1978. Sage-grouse and their
droppings were seen near Colorado Mountain
College southeast of Glenwood Springs, and Parry
A. Larsen reported seeing up to 5 sage-grouse in
Spring Valley for 3–5 years prior to 1992. CEB
found old droppings at several locations in Spring
Valley in 1994. The population was likely
extirpated in the mid 1990s.
Gunnison County.—Captain J. W. Gunnison
reported sage-grouse in his travels in 1853 near
present Elk Creek east of the Lake Fork of the
Gunnison River (Beckwith 1855). This report
commonly mentioned the presence of sagebrush
throughout the area. Sclater (1912) reported the
presence of sage-grouse in Gunnison County, as
did Warren (1916) who reported sage-grouse were

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rare in the Elk Mountain region of Gunnison
County and did not occur much farther up the East
River than Jack’s Cabin. Scattered birds were
found elsewhere in this county in sagebrush
habitat (Rogers 1964, Bailey and Niedrach
1965). Rogers (1964:20) suggested that Gunnison
County historically had some of the highest
populations of sage-grouse. This continues, especially in the Ohio Creek and Willow Creek
drainages, and Elk Creek (CEB, pers. obs.). This
population was intensively studied from the mid
1980s to 1999 (Hupp and Braun 1989; Young
et al. 1994, 2000; Oyler McCance et al. 1999, 2001).
Hinsdale County.—Sage-grouse were present in
this county in the early 1940s (Rogers 1964) and
continue to seasonally occupy habitat in the
northern part of the county along upper Powderhorn Creek and the upper Lake Fork of the
Gunnison River.
Huerfano County.—Captain J. W. Gunnison
passed through Huerfano County in his travels
through southern Colorado in 1853 and reported
grouse (possibly Dusky Grouse [Dendragapus
obscurus]) and ‘pheasants’ (possibly Sharp-tailed
Grouse [Tympanuchus phasianellus] based on
written descriptions in Beckwith 1855) before he
crossed the Sangre de Cristo Mountains into the
San Luis Valley. Rogers (1964:9) suggested it was
possible that sage-grouse once occurred in this
county.
La Plata County.—Sage-grouse were present in
the early 1940s (Rogers 1964) in this county and
occurred along the Pine and Florida rivers, south
of Bayfield. Other areas where sage-grouse
occurred were south of Hesperus near Breen and
Red Mesa. Several older ranchers in these areas
mentioned to CEB the past presence of sagegrouse in the pre-1969 interval. This population
appears to have been extirpated prior to 1960.
Mesa County.—Rockwell (1908) reported the
presence of sage-grouse in Mesa County in March
,12 km south of DeBeque, in summer in Plateau
Valley, and in July at the base of Mamm’s Peak.
Sclater (1912) also reported the presence of sagegrouse in this county. Rogers (1964) observed
males displaying in Glade Park and on Pinon
Mesa in early April 1959. Scattered groups of
birds occurred in Unaweep Canyon (Rogers 1964,
Bailey and Niedrach 1965). Sage-grouse also
occurred along the Little Dolores River into
Grand County, Utah (Rogers 1964, CEB, pers.
obs.). The hunting season in Mesa County was
closed in 1958 (Rogers 1964), but hunting was

known to occur (11 sage-grouse wings received
from hunters in 1985) into the mid 1990s in Glade
Park and on Pinon Mesa. Sage-grouse also
occurred in the Dominguez Canyon area of the
Uncompahgre Plateau as Anderson (1969) reported the population disappeared after the entire area
had been sprayed with the herbicide 2, 4-D. No
sage-grouse or signs of them were observed in this
area during habitat surveys in 1999 (KMP, pers.
obs.). Birds were present in eastern Mesa County
south of the Colorado River in 1961 (Rogers
1964). Evidence (fresh droppings) of sage-grouse
were reported (J. P. Beason, Rocky Mountain Bird
Observatory, pers. comm.) near the community of
Mesa during systematic surveys in suitable habitat
during February, March, and April 2009 suggesting winter use of this area. Gunnison Sage-Grouse
were radiomarked and studied in the Glade ParkPinon Mesa area in 1995–1997 (Commons 1997).
Mineral County.—The only report of any sagegrouse in this county is that of J. D. Hart dated 1
July 1937 (in Rogers 1964:20). There is an area
southeast of Creede towards South Fork that is
dominated by sagebrush, which may be where
sage-grouse were present in this county. It is
peripherally linked to sagebrush habitats near Del
Norte in Rio Grande County.
Montezuma County.—Sage-grouse were reported to be common in Montezuma County (Morrison 1888) and Sclater (1912) reported the
presence of sage-grouse north and south of
Cortez. Considerable numbers of birds occurred
north of Narraquinep Reservoir, with a few
southwest of Dolores near Ruins Canyon and the
Utah line (Rogers 1964, Bailey and Niedrach
1965). Rogers (1964) reported that hunting of
sage-grouse was closed in Montezuma County in
1960. A few birds were observed in 1961 east of
Pleasant View, west of the Dolores River around
Ruins Canyon, south of Cortez and west of U.S.
Rte. 666 (present-day U.S. Rte. 491), and in the
Sandstone, Hovenweep, Wood, and Yellowjacket
Canyon areas (Rogers 1964). Sage-grouse persisted in this area into the mid 1990s and a hen was
observed northwest of Cortez towards Hovenweep
Canyon by Robin Olterman (Colorado Division of
Wildlife, pers. comm.) in about 1996. This
population was likely extirpated in the late 1990s.
Montrose County.—Sage-grouse were ‘very
common’ winter residents of southwestern
Montrose County (Warren 1909). Rogers (1964)
reported sage-grouse occurred northwest of Norwood to near Nucla (airport). There were five

 Braun et al. N HISTORICAL DISTRIBUTION OF GUNNISON SAGE-GROUSE

small leks with a few birds in the Cimarron
drainage in the eastern part of the county (Rogers
1964, Bailey and Niedrach 1965). Sage-grouse
also occurred in Bostwick Park (5 males counted
on a lek in 1959), the area around Gould’s
Reservoir, and near the town of Maher (Rogers
1964). A few remained on Sims Mesa in April
1995 (CEB, pers. obs.) and near Colona into the
mid to late 1990s. Dale Coven of the Colorado
Division of Wildlife observed one male on Sims
Mesa in spring 2000. This observation was
followed by release of six birds at Sims Mesa in
April 2000 that were captured in the Gunnison
Basin. A few birds persisted on Cerro Summit
with little change in numbers counted (2–5 males
each year with counts) between 1959–1999.
Ouray County.—Sage-grouse were present in
this county in 1961 (Rogers 1964). Sage-grouse
were reported to be present in December 1989
(Ken Miller, Colorado Division of Wildlife, pers.
comm.) 3 km north of Ridgway and towards
Duckett Draw to Sims Mesa in Montrose County
(1995–1997) into the mid to late 1990s. This
population was extirpated in the late 1990s.
Pitkin County.—Rogers (1964) reported there
were only 4 km2 of sagebrush habitat in Pitkin
County. Sage-grouse were counted on leks at
Capitol Creek in 1960–1961 near Snowmass and
were also known to occur west of the town of
Carbondale in the Thompson Creek Drainage near
the Garfield County line (Rogers 1964). This
population was extirpated by the mid 1960s.
Saguache County.—Captain J. W. Gunnison
reported grouse (species not identified) at two
different locations during his travel in 1853 in the
San Luis Valley north of Fort Massachusetts
(Beckwith 1855). Sage-grouse were collected on
Cochetopa Pass in 1858 by Captain Beckwith and
Mr. Kreutzfeldt (Baird 1858). The 1855 Beckwith
report describing Gunnison’s travels commonly
mentioned the presence of sagebrush throughout
the area. This county has the second largest
amount of sagebrush habitat in southwestern
Colorado. Especially good habitat occurred along
the Razor, Cochetopa, Gold Basin, Pole, Sugar,
and Beaver Creek drainages (Rogers 1964, Bailey
and Niedrach 1965).
A small population of Gunnison Sage-Grouse
currently persists on the south side of Poncha
Pass. Rogers (1964:116) stated the Poncha Pass
area was not checked, but birds had not been
reported in some time. Rogers further states the
Poncha Pass area was the top choice of four

213

possible locations in Colorado for potential
transplants of sage-grouse (1964:27). These comments likely precipitated the transplant of a group
of 32 birds captured on Sapinaro Mesa in the
Gunnison Basin in 1971 (17) and 1972 (15), and
released (by the Colorado Department of Game,
Fish and Parks and the Bureau of Land Management) near Round Hill (along San Luis Creek) on
the south side of Poncha Pass. At least 20 sagegrouse were harvested in this area in September
1992 when the area was accidentally opened for
hunting. Gunnison Sage-Grouse were observed,
radiomarked, and studied in this area during part
of 1990 through 2012 (CEB, JAN, pers. obs.).
Gunnison Sage-Grouse were transplanted to
Poncha Pass during spring 2000 (24), spring
2001 (20), and fall 2002 (7) from the Gunnison
Basin.
San Miguel County.—Bent (1932:309) reported
sage-grouse from Lone Cone southeast of Norwood in San Miguel County. Rogers (1964)
reported that a few occurred in the southwestern
corner of the county north of Dove Creek and
west of Egnar. They also occurred south of
Norwood near Basin Creek, Beaver Mesa, and
south of Gurley Reservoir (Rogers 1964, Bailey
and Niedrach 1965). Rogers (1964:24) noted that
sage-grouse in the Gregor Flats area only had
between 13–26 km2 of habitat. Gunnison SageGrouse were studied in this area, as well as on
Hamilton Mesa, and in Dry Creek Basin in the
mid to late 1990s (Commons 1997).
DISCUSSION
Gunnison Sage-Grouse were patchily distributed, frequently in linear strips along riparian areas
as well as in intermountain basins in Colorado in
the early 1900s. These areas, based on observations by CEB in the post 1969 period, were
dominated by species of Artemisia (cana, nova,
tridentata tridentata, t. vaseyana), Gambel’s oak
(Quercus gambelii), serviceberry (Amelanchier
spp.), and snowberry (Symphoricarpos spp.), as
well as a large variety of native forbs and taller
grasses. Gunnison Sage-Grouse used smaller
(,4 km2) sagebrush-dominated openings in
southwest Colorado that contained sagebrush as
well as deciduous shrubs. Use of ,5–6 km2
patches of suitable habitat by radio-marked birds
(Commons 1997) suggests more adaptability to
heterogeneous sagebrush habitats than Greater
Sage-Grouse (Connelly et al. 2011).

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We view the former distribution of Gunnison
Sage-Grouse in Colorado as a series of five
metapopulations (a set of local populations that
interact through individual movements among
populations [Hanski and Gilpin 1991]) based on
likely linkages among habitat patches. For
example, the Colorado River metapopulation
was linked to the west with the Uncompahgre
Plateau metapopulation, which was linked with
the Gunnison Basin metapopulation to the east
and the Colorado Plateau metapopulation to the
south. The San Luis Valley metapopulation was
more isolated but was linked with the Gunnison
Basin to the northwest (Table 2). Sagebrushdominated corridors among these metapopulations continue to exist although they are now
fragmented.
Linkages among populations of Gunnison
Sage-Grouse in the mid-1990s were examined
using genetic methods (Oyler-McCance et al.
2005). Of the eight subpopulations recognized by
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (Oyler-McCance
et al. 2005:fig. 1), seven were included in the
genetic analysis. The Poncha Pass subpopulation
was not included because at that time, it was the
only subpopulation that had been augmented by
translocations from other areas. Oyler-McCance
et al. (2005) found a high degree of genetic
structure and low amounts of gene flow across
most subpopulations of Gunnison Sage-Grouse
(the only exception being between the geographically adjacent Gunnison and Curecanti subpopulations in the Gunnison Basin). The Dove Creek/
Monticello (San Juan County, Utah) and Pinon
Mesa subpopulations were the most different and
had the lowest levels of genetic diversity. OylerMcCance et al. (2005) also found that the San
Miguel subpopulation may act as a conduit of
gene flow surrounding the larger subpopulation in
the Gunnison Basin. Gunnison Sage-Grouse from
Cerro/Cimarron/Sims were more closely aligned
with the San Miguel subpopulation than the
Gunnison or Curecanti subpopulations. The
Crawford (Fruitland Mesa) subpopulation was
also significantly different from surrounding
populations suggesting low levels of gene flow
(Oyler-McCance et al. 2005). Such patterns of
genetic structure within Gunnison Sage-Grouse
will change as augmentation efforts now involve
moving birds from the Gunnison Basin subpopulation to maintain the other subpopulations.
The Colorado River and its tributary, the Eagle
River appear to be the northern boundary of the

TABLE 2. Possible metapopulations of Gunnison
Sage-Grouse in Colorado.
Metapopulation

Colorado River
Gunnison Basin
Uncompahgre Plateau
Colorado Plateau
San Luis Valley

Counties

S Eagle, Pitkin, S Garfield, E Mesa
Gunnison, NW Saguache,
Hinsdale, Delta, Montrose
Ouray, Montrose, SW Mesa, San
Miguel
Dolores, Montezuma, LaPlata,
Archuleta
NE Saguache, Alamosa, Conejos,
Costilla, Rio Grande

Gunnison sage-grouse historical distribution in
Colorado. Greater Sage-Grouse are known to
occur immediately north of the Colorado-Eagle
River system in Mesa, Garfield, and Eagle
counties. Sage-grouse in these counties, as with
all counties in northwestern and northcentral
Colorado, were studied during the 1973–1999
interval. All were Greater Sage-Grouse (CEB,
pers. obs., Hupp and Braun 1991, Oyler-McCance
et al. 1999). We found no museum specimens of
Greater Sage-Grouse from the area south of the
Colorado-Eagle River boundary and no specimens
of Gunnison Sage-Grouse from north of this
boundary.
Armstrong (1972) studied ecogeographic distributions of fauna in Colorado and (page 337)
reported the Colorado River and its canyons form
important physical barriers and that the Grand
River Valley was an important barrier. He
concluded it was not only the presence of a large
river system but also the diversity of the
vegetation on the floor and sides of the valley
that affected faunal populations north and south of
the river system. It is difficult to perceive the
present upper Grand Valley along the Colorado
River drainage in Mesa, Garfield, and Eagle
counties as a barrier to north-south movement
by sage-grouse. However, we have limited
knowledge of historic habitat conditions when
and where the two sage-grouse species evolved.
Specimen records were found from Dolores,
Gunnison, Mesa, Saguache, and San Miguel
counties in Colorado. Only one of multiple sagegrouse specimens collected in the 1870s in Lake
County near Twin Lakes (Henshaw 1875) was
located (U.S. National Museum). A piece of toepad was obtained from this specimen and tested
for species identification (by SJO-M) by comparing its mitochondrial haplotypes with those

 Braun et al. N HISTORICAL DISTRIBUTION OF GUNNISON SAGE-GROUSE

215

FIG. 2. Present distribution of Gunnison Sage-Grouse and Greater Sage-Grouse in Colorado (modified from
Braun 1995).

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THE WILSON JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY N Vol. 126, No. 2, June 2014

published previously for both species (OylerMcCance et al. 1999). The mitochondrial DNA
haplotype from this specimen was consistent with
Greater Sage-Grouse rather than Gunnison SageGrouse. Lake County is adjacent (north) of
Chaffee County and immediately south of Summit
County where Greater Sage-Grouse are known to
exist. Field surveys in Park County, immediately
east of Lake and Chaffee counties, where the
earliest fossil sage-grouse was reported (Emslie
2004), failed to locate contemporary sagebrush
communities capable of supporting sage-grouse.
The historical distribution of Gunnison SageGrouse included at least 20 counties (based on
Braun 1995). At present, this species persists in
only eight counties (Table 1, Fig. 2) in Colorado,
five of which, Montrose (Cimarron), Dolores
(Dove Creek), Mesa (Pinon Mesa/Glade Park),
Saguache (Poncha Pass), and San Miguel (Miramonte/Dry Creek Basin) are being sustained by
augmentations from the subpopulation in the
Gunnison Basin. Half of the county extirpations
occurred prior to or around 1945 (Alamosa,
Chaffee, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, and Rio
Grande). Others occurred in the 1960s (Archuleta,
Pitkin) and 1996–1998 (Eagle, Garfield, Montezuma, and Ouray) (Table 1).
The possibilities for restoration of extirpated
populations or the augmentation of those presently with small populations are problematic as most
historically occupied areas are no longer suitable
because of habitat degradation, fragmentation,
and permanent loss from agricultural activities,
gas and oil development, and expansion of homes
and ranchettes. The Gunnison Basin could have
the greatest restoration potential given the large
amount of habitat still available. The Cimarron
area also has potential for increasing population
size through habitat management. Areas outside
of the Gunnison Basin that may be options for
restoration of Gunnison Sage-Grouse, based on
public land ownership and current areas with
larger patches of sagebrush, are those in Dolores,
Montezuma, San Miguel, Montrose, and Delta
counties. Other suitable reintroduction sites might
include the area east and south of Fort Garland as
sagebrush habitats extend into New Mexico. CEB
reviewed adjacent sagebrush-dominated areas in
New Mexico in the 1970s and again in the mid
2000s and noted the lack of suitable brood habitat
as well as degraded nesting habitats. Similar
conditions occur in Costilla County, Colorado and
any restoration attempts would need to focus on

improving native understory species in nesting
areas with live sagebrush, brood habitat, as well as
potential winter-use areas (Connelly et al. 2011).
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Field work during 1977–1999 was supported by the
Colorado Division of Wildlife. We thank all field personnel
who helped with studies in Delta, Dolores, Gunnison, Mesa,
Montrose, Saguache, and San Miguel counties, especially
Area Wildlife Manager Jim Houston, Wildlife Managers
Cliff Coghill, Dale Coven, Dave Harper, Doug Homan, Bill
Heicher, Dave Kenvin, and Maurice Potter, and Wildlife
Biologist Jim Olterman. We thank Joanne Saher for her
insightful comments on the manuscript and for help with
figures. We also thank two anonymous referees for helpful
reviews of the manuscript. This is a contribution from
Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration projects W-152-R and
W-167-R.

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