Scientists have issued warning saying if the growing wildfires in Great Basin will not be stopped, the population of sage-grouse will reduce to almost half over the next three decades.

The sudden decline in the population of chicken-sized birds, known for their colorful plumage and outlandish mating dance, is due to wildfires. A report by the US Geological Survey has asked the US Fish and Wildlife Service to decide whether sage-grouse need protection under the Endangered Species Act.

As per experts if the bird will be listed under the endangered species, it might harm Western states’ economies. Matt Brooks, a fire ecologist with the USGS and one of the report’s authors said in a statement that the sagebrush steppe and sagebrush ecosystem are in trouble.

The study suggested some potential ways to avert sage-grouse declines by classifying areas for their resilience to disturbance and resistance to invasive species such as cheatgrass, and then applying suitable strategies.

John Freemuth, a Boise State University professor and public lands expert, said the report could factor into a sage-grouse listing decision. “That’s an indication that in the future (managers) will apply resources more effectively to protect the habitat”, he said.

The reports are in line with an order by Interior Secretary Sally Jewell in January that called for a new wildfire-fighting strategy using a ‘science-based’ approach to protect wide swaths of the intermountain West sagebrush country that supports cattle ranching and struggling sage grouse.

Sage-grouse is found across 11 western states, and are one of some 400 species that use the sage brush steppe.