Prairie grouse courtship rituals, beginning as early as February, are in full swing by April. Before dawn the males gather on the grounds, called leks, to perform, claiming territory, intimidating rivals, and attracting hens. Prairie chicken display includes short runs, rapid foot stomping, leaps into the air, inflation of the orange neck sacs, erection of neck feathers, and the deep, resonant booming for which grounds are named. Sharptails also are frenetic performers. Their whirling dance gives grounds their names. They do stamp, run, and pose, often rapidly buzzing their erect tail feathers. Both species occasionally fight, sometimes leaping into the air to strike with feet, but seldom causing any real injury.

Males begin arriving on the grounds about 45 minutes to one hour before sunrise, and at the height of breeding season may display for as long as two or three hours, barring disturbances and depending on the weather. A second peak in activity occurs in late afternoon and early evening although this peak may be somewhat less intense that the morning activity.