Exploring DNA Metabarcoding to Understand Diet in Declining Columbian Sharp-tailed Grouse 2023

Boise State University was awarded funds to study the diet of Sharp-tailed Grouse and how the food habits are associated with management strategies and population dynamics. The Sharp-tailed Grouse have experienced significant decline due to anthropogenic change and now occupy less than 5% of their former range. The largest population in the United States occur in Idaho, where these birds remain an important part of the state’s hunting culture and natural history legacy.