Scientists deploy robot birds in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park to lure a critically declining local sage-grouse population away from an airport and revive its numbers

Published 21 July 2026 · science

Representative AI image Why is Grand Teton using robot birds? Habitat loss and airport activity drove the decline How do robotic sage-grouses work? What is

Representative AI image Why is Grand Teton using robot birds? Habitat loss and airport activity drove the decline How do robotic sage-grouses work? What is a lek and why does it matter? Restoring habitat is only half the challenge Scientists will monitor whether the experiment succeeds Grand Teton Park in Wyoming has turned to an unusual conservation strategy to save one of its fastest-declining bird populations: robot birds. Park officials and wildlife experts have deployed lifelike robotic greater sage-grouse that mimic the species' elaborate courtship dances, puff out their chests and broadcast recorded mating calls in an effort to attract real birds to restored breeding grounds. The initiative aims to lure sage-grouse away from the nearby Jackson Hole Airport, where decades of habitat degradation and aircraft activity have contributed to a dramatic decline in their numbers. By recreating the sights and sounds of an active breeding site, conservationists hope the innovative decoys will encourage mating and gradually rebuild the park's critically declining local population.The greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) has experienced a sharp decline across much of the western United States over the past century.

While the species is not federally listed as endangered, its local population in Grand Teton Park has reached alarmingly low levels. At one of the park's breeding grounds, known as a lek, wildlife officials recorded only three displaying male sage-grouse during the 2025 breeding season. Conservationists believe attracting birds to a newly restored breeding site could help reverse the decline before the local population disappears altogether.The birds' decline is linked to years of habitat degradation and increasing human activity. Historically, cattle grazing damaged the native sagebrush ecosystem that sage-grouse depend on for food, nesting and protection from predators. Although grazing ended decades ago, the landscape has been slow to recover.The nearby Jackson Hole Airport, the only commercial airport located inside a US national park, has added further pressure. Aircraft movements disturb breeding birds during the critical mating season, while bird strikes have killed several sage-grouse over the years. Conservationists hope relocating breeding activity farther from the airport will improve the birds' chances of survival.The robotic decoys were designed by the RoboBroncs, Jackson Hole High School's robotics team, in partnership with Grand Teton Park and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.