ant , ▁and ▁do ▁not ▁require ▁the ▁mother ▁to ▁feed ▁them . ▁Short ly ▁after ▁h atch ing , ▁the ▁ch icks ▁and ▁mother ▁leave ▁the ▁nest ▁site ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁cover ▁and ▁food . ▁ ▁Bro od ▁re aring ▁habit ats ▁of ▁sharp - ta iled ▁gr ouse ▁have ▁many ▁characteristics ▁including : ▁shr ub by ▁veget ation ▁for ▁conce al ment , ▁short ▁veget ation ▁nearby ▁for ▁feed ing , ▁and ▁high ▁amounts ▁of ▁for bs ▁present ▁( H amer st rom ▁ 1 9 6 3 ; ▁K ohn ▁ 1 9 7 6 ; ▁Mans ke ▁and ▁B ark er ▁ 1 9 8 7 ; ▁Ro ers ma ▁ 2 0 0 1 ; ▁God d ard ▁et ▁al . ▁ 2 0 0 9 ). ▁This ▁could ▁explain ▁why ▁sharp - ta iled ▁gr ouse ▁nest ▁in ▁or ▁close ▁to ▁shr ub ▁communities . ▁The ▁shr ub ▁component ▁in ▁bro oding ▁habitat ▁provides ▁good ▁can opy ▁protection ▁from ▁direct ▁sun light ▁and ▁av ian ▁pred ators ▁( Ro es m ra ▁ 2 0 0 1 ; ▁God d ard ▁ 2 0 0 9 ). ▁ ▁H amer st rom ▁( 1 9 6 3 ) ▁and ▁God d ard ▁et ▁al . ▁( 2 0 0 9 ) ▁both ▁observed ▁the ▁greatest ▁number ▁of ▁sharp - ta iled ▁gr ouse ▁bro ods ▁present ▁in ▁open , ▁rather ▁than ▁wood ed ▁land sc apes . ▁Both ▁hypoth es ized ▁this ▁use ▁of ▁open ▁landscape ▁was ▁due