▁( M ans ke ▁and ▁B ark er ▁ 1 9 8 7 ; ▁Pro se ▁et ▁al . ▁ 2 0 0 2 ). ▁God d ard ▁et ▁al . ▁( 2 0 0 9 ) ▁state ▁that ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁shr ub ▁domin ated ▁habit ats ▁has ▁not ▁been ▁documented ▁by ▁many ▁other ▁research ers . ▁God d ard ▁et ▁al . ▁( 2 0 0 9 ) ▁found ▁that ▁sharp - ta iled ▁gr ouse ▁h ens ▁in ▁Al berta , ▁Canada ▁selected ▁more ▁for ▁shr ub ▁ste ppe ▁habit ats ▁in ▁their ▁first ▁nest ▁attempts ▁because ▁of ▁increased ▁conce al ment ▁provided ▁by ▁the ▁shr ubs ▁than ▁the ▁resid ual ▁grass ▁earlier ▁in ▁the ▁bre eding ▁season . ▁Ro ers ma ▁( 2 0 0 1 ) ▁also ▁found ▁that ▁gr ouse ▁in ▁southern ▁Al berta ▁selected ▁t aller , ▁wo ody ▁veget ation ▁compared ▁to ▁all ▁other ▁habit ats ▁ass essed , ▁and ▁gr ouse ▁used ▁this ▁area ▁in ▁greater ▁proport ions ▁to ▁available ▁wo ody ▁habitat . ▁These ▁find ings ▁contradict ▁Pro se ▁et ▁al . ▁( 2 0 0 2 ), ▁who ▁states ▁that ▁resid ual ▁veget ation ▁is ▁critical ▁to ▁sharp - ta iled ▁gr ouse ▁nest ▁success ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁early ▁season al ▁nest ing ▁nature ▁of ▁the ▁gr ouse . ▁ ▁Bro od ▁habitat ▁Sh arp - ta iled ▁gr ouse ▁are ▁a ▁pre co cial ▁species , ▁meaning ▁that ▁they ▁h atch ▁with ▁their ▁eyes ▁open , ▁are ▁self - re li