Wyoming conservation effort uses robot birds to protect threatened sage-grouse

A unique conservation effort in Grand Teton National Park is using robotic birds to help protect a vulnerable species from a surprising danger: airplanes.

According to People, officials have deployed lifelike decoys of the greater sage-grouse near the Jackson Hole Airport in an effort to prevent bird strikes and encourage the birds to move to safer areas.

The initiative aims to lure the birds away from the airport’s flight path, where collisions have historically posed a serious risk. Between 1990 and 2013, at least 32 sage-grouse were killed by aircraft in the area, particularly during the summer months when they are most active.

To address the issue, conservationists restored a 100-acre field south of the runway and placed several handcrafted decoy birds there. The models are designed to mimic the sage-grouse’s distinctive mating behavior, encouraging real birds to relocate their breeding displays to the safer site.

The project has evolved over time. Early versions of the decoys were made from papier-mâché, but newer iterations include robotic models capable of movement. Some of the decoys are stationary, while others are designed to “dance” like real sage-grouse during mating rituals, making them more effective at attracting the birds.

The effort is a collaboration between multiple groups, including conservation organisations, local artists and students, and a high school robotics team that helped design the moving decoys.

Wildlife officials hope that even a slight shift in where the birds gather could significantly reduce the risk of deadly aircraft collisions while supporting the long-term survival of the species, which is already facing challenges due to habitat loss.

The project is part of a broader wildlife management plan aimed at improving safety for both animals and aircraft, highlighting how creative solutions are being used to address complex conservation challenges.