▁to ▁an ▁abund ance ▁of ▁insect s ▁for ▁the ▁ch icks ▁and ▁green ▁her b ace ous ▁cover ▁for ▁the ▁hen ▁to ▁feed ▁on . ▁Hab itat ▁usage ▁by ▁sharp - ta iled ▁gr ouse ▁bro ods ▁is ▁a ▁function ▁of ▁time ▁of ▁day , ▁available ▁habitat , ▁and ▁weather ▁( A mm ann ▁ 1 9 5 7 ; ▁K ohn ▁ 1 9 7 6 ). ▁Bro od ▁habit ats ▁are ▁made ▁up ▁of ▁many ▁complex ▁habitat ▁types . ▁Bro ods ▁may ▁util ize ▁shr ub by ▁areas ▁or ▁o ak ▁grass land ▁sav ann ah ▁type ▁habit ats ▁( H amer st rom ▁ 1 9 6 3 ). ▁Bro ods ▁util ize ▁these ▁types ▁of ▁habit ats ▁for ▁cover , ▁while ▁remaining ▁close ▁to ▁prime ▁for aging ▁habit ats ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁shorter ▁veget ation ▁with ▁a ▁mixture ▁of ▁native ▁veget ation . ▁ ▁Winter ▁habitat ▁Winter ▁habitat ▁usage ▁by ▁sharp - ta iled ▁gr ouse ▁seems ▁to ▁shift ▁toward ▁dens er ▁cover ▁for ▁thermal ▁ins ulation . ▁Ham mer st rom ▁and ▁Ham mer st rom ▁( 1 9 5 1 ) ▁noticed ▁that ▁gr ouse ▁use ▁th icker ▁edge ▁type ▁habitat ▁more ▁than ▁the ▁open ▁ground ▁during ▁the ▁winter ▁in ▁Michigan ▁and ▁Wisconsin . ▁Ham mer st rom ▁and ▁Ham mer st rom ▁( 1 9 5 1 ) ▁also ▁noted ▁that ▁birds , ▁when ▁found ▁in ▁open ▁habitat , ▁were ▁no ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁few ▁hundred ▁meters ▁from ▁th icker ▁cover . ▁These ▁birds ▁were