ries , ▁for bs , ▁and ▁leaves , ▁also ▁insect s , ▁especially ▁grass ho ppers , ▁in ▁summer . ▁ ▁Bre eding ▁ ▁The ▁sharp - ta iled ▁gr ouse ▁is ▁a ▁le kk ing ▁bird ▁species . ▁These ▁birds ▁display ▁in ▁open ▁areas ▁known ▁as ▁le ks ▁with ▁other ▁males , ▁anywhere ▁from ▁a ▁single ▁male ▁to ▁up wards ▁of ▁ 2 0 ▁will ▁occup y ▁one ▁le k ▁( aver aging ▁ 8 - 1 2 ). ▁A ▁le k ▁is ▁defined ▁as ▁an ▁assembly ▁area ▁where ▁animals ▁carry ▁on ▁display ▁and ▁court ship ▁behavior ▁( Mer ri am - Web ster ▁Dictionary ▁ 2 0 1 0 ). ▁During ▁the ▁spring , ▁male ▁sharp - ta iled ▁gr ouse ▁attend ▁these ▁le ks ▁from ▁March ▁through ▁July ▁with ▁peak ▁attend ance ▁in ▁late ▁April , ▁early ▁May ▁( Con elly ▁et ▁al . ▁ 1 9 9 8 ). ▁These ▁dates ▁do ▁fl uct uate ▁from ▁year ▁to ▁year ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁weather . ▁Joh ns g ard ▁( 2 0 0 2 ) ▁observed ▁weather ▁delayed ▁le kk ing ▁of ▁up ▁to ▁two ▁weeks ▁by ▁sharp - ta iled ▁gr ouse ▁in ▁North ▁Dak ota . ▁The ▁males ▁display ▁on ▁the ▁le k ▁by ▁stamp ing ▁their ▁feet ▁rapidly , ▁about ▁ 2 0 ▁times ▁per ▁second , ▁and ▁r attle ▁their ▁tail ▁fe athers ▁while ▁turning ▁in ▁circles ▁or ▁dan cing ▁forward . ▁Pur ple ▁neck ▁sac s ▁are ▁infl ated ▁and ▁def l ated ▁during ▁display