GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK — It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s… a papier-mâché sculpture!
Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) announced Monday that papier-mâché greater sage-grouse decoys have been created in an effort to lure real sage-grouse away from the Jackson Hole Airport to reduce the chance of the birds being killed by airplanes.
“Between 1990 and 2013, 32 greater sage-grouse were killed by aircraft near Jackson Hole Airport — most during summer months when hens and chicks are active,” GTNP posted to Facebook. “To help reduce future strikes, the park, along with community partners, restored a 100-acre field just south of the runway and placed four handcrafted sage-grouse decoys to encourage birds to relocate their spring mating displays. This multi-year restoration is part of the Airport’s Wildlife Hazard Management Plan to improve safety for both wildlife and aircraft.”
GTNP shared that the decoys were constructed as a collaboration among the Teton Raptor Center, Jackson Hole Middle School art students and local artist Lori Solem.
Trail cameras are expected to monitor the success of the experiment.
