A Rump-mount Harness Design Improvement for Greater Sage-grouse

ABSTRACT

Marking birds with radiotransmitters to ascertain movements and demographic parameters has been a common practice for >50 years. Previous research provides evidence that transmitters may negatively affect some avian species, including gallinaceous birds. Investigators now commonly use rump-mount transmitters with leg-loop harnesses to monitor greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), but there is concern about effects of such harnesses with no published protocols for harness construction or attachment. During spring 2017–2019, we captured male greater sage-grouse on or near strutting grounds in Moffat County, Colorado, USA. In 2017, we deployed 20 very-high-frequency transmitters on male greater sage-grouse with elasticized Teflon™-ribbon harnesses, but discovered marked birds sustained skin abrasions and lacerations. After this discovery, we modified the harness to use ribbon sheathed with tubing. We used the modified harness on 129 males in 2018 and 2019. We found few to no abrasions or lacerations on 8 out of 8 recaptured males with the modified harness, whereas only 1 out of 7 recaptured males fitted with the original elasticized ribbon harness had few to no abrasions or lacerations. Our findings suggest that sheathing the ribbon used to build the leg loops improves the commonly used elasticized-ribbon design. We suggest investigators planning to use rump-mount harnesses on male and female greater sage-grouse to consider adopting our design, develop and test a new or improved design, and carefully consider harness materials, construction, and fit prior to deployment. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.