The Greater Sage-Grouse is certainly a formidable-looking bird. Being the largest grouse in North America and having tail feathers, which look like giant spikes, make for a ferocious sight. These birds are well known for their complicated courtship rituals, in which the males perform a special “strutting display” to attract the females. Another distinct feature of the Greater Sage-Grouse is two large yellow throat sacs (gular sacs), which are inflated by the males during the courtship display. Unlike pelicans, whose gular sacs are used to store fish while hunting, the throat sacks of the Greater Sage-Grouse are merely for display.

Project Mermaids model. Project Mermaids lets ocean-lovers don tails and live out their siren fantasies. Clients can pay for a shoot that is either on land or underwater, with the images looking to raise awareness about preservation of beaches, seas and oceans. The project – which is shot by photographers Angelina Venturella and Chiara Salomoni – started purely to raise awareness, with celebrities dressing up as sirens as part of the cause. (Photo by Angelina Venturella/Chiara Salomoni/Caters News Agency)

Emergency services work at the scene of a bus accident on the Kingsway in central London February 2, 2015. A number 91 double-decker bus had its roof ripped off after hitting a tree, causing injury to passengers and passers-by, local media reported. (Photo by Peter Nicholls/Reuters)

A ranger watches a seal pup near the Northumberland coast, Farne Islands, UK on December 19, 2018, where the National Trust says the number of Atlantic grey seal pups has reached a record high thanks to an abundance of food and a lack of predators. (Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Wire Press Association)

A kangaroo and joey are seen in a burnt forest on Kangaroo Island, south west of Adelaide on January 16, 2020. Australia’s continuing bushfire crisis has taken an enormous toll on wildlife, with huge numbers of mammals, birds, reptiles, insects and other species killed. (Photo by Jo-Anne McArthur/Weanimals)

A woman carrying a child on her back looks at wigs on sale at the Baragwanath Taxi Rank in Soweto, South Africa, Wednesday, September 16, 2020. South African president Cyril Ramaphosa is scheduled to address the nation later in the day, as case numbers and death from COVID-19 hit the lowest in months. (Photo by Jerome Delay/AP Photo)

Bathers brave the cold waters of the North Sea as they take part in the annual Boxing Day dip at Redcar Beach on December 26, 2023 in Redcar, England. The event attracts hundreds of people each year, with many wearing fancy dress, who take to the water to help raise money for a number of charities. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)

Kaori Sakamoto, from Japan, on April 17, 2025 at the ISU World Team Trophy in Figure Skating 2025, held in Tokyo. Teams from all over the world compete in a number of events with two men, two women, one pair and one ice dance entry. (Photo by Yohei Osada/AFLO SPORT via Alamy Live News)