Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Interior Department said Friday it won't list the sage grouse as endangered or threatened.

It will classify the bird among species that are candidates for federal protection.

The finding is welcome to ranchers, wind energy developers and oil and gas drillers.

Those industries still face scrutiny in grouse habitat but will have more leeway than if the bird were listed.

Reporter Tom Banse joins us now with more details.

Oregon Field Guide - Sage Grouse

In spring in the high desert country, the male sage grouse puts on a show with a courting ritual that involves puffing up two sacks of air in his fluffy chest and spreading his tail feathers. But when the hens go to nest, very few of their chicks survive. We follow an Oregon State University scientist who is studying the hens, and looking for ways to reverse the decline in sage grouse populations.