video: Gail Patricelli studies the courtship behavior of the sage-grouse, one of the most spectacular and bizarre birds in the world, and also being considered for the federal list of endangered species. Patricelli has rigged up a sage-grouse mating ground in Wyoming with a network of hi-definition video cameras and audio recording devices, and she uses a robotic female sage-grouse (fembot!) rigged with cameras to get right up close to courting males. Her work may shed light on the survival of the species, as there is some evidence indicating noise associated with natural gas fields in Wyoming could be disrupting their mating behavior. view more
Credit: Ann Kellan, Science Nation Producer