Before dawn on a spring morning, on open patches of sagebrush country known as leks, one of the strangest and most captivating displays in the animal kingdom unfolds. Male greater sage-grouse gather to strut, fanning spiky tails and inflating bright yellow air sacs on their chests that pop and gurgle across the sage.

This elaborate courtship dance, performed on the same traditional grounds year after year, is a spectacle that draws wildlife watchers to Wyoming each spring. The females look on, choosing mates from among the puffing, strutting males in a ritual older than memory.

The sage-grouse has become far more than a curiosity, however. As a bird that depends entirely on healthy sagebrush habitat, it has emerged as a flashpoint in one of the West's largest conservation battles. Its declining numbers raised the prospect of endangered species protections that could have restricted energy development and ranching across enormous areas.

That threat spurred an unprecedented collaboration among ranchers, energy companies, conservationists, and government to protect sagebrush habitat and avoid a listing. Wyoming, home to a large share of the world's sage-grouse, sits at the heart of the effort. The bird's fate has become a test of whether a species and the industries that share its range can find a way to coexist across the vast sagebrush sea.