Everyone knows that oil and water don’t mix. But did you know the same can be said about barbed wire and sage grouse? Probably not, but according to a new study by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department it appears a chicken-like bird known as the sage grouse, now perilously in decline, might be having a hang up with old-fashioned barbed wire. According to the study, some 146 birds flew into a five-mile wide stretch of barbed wire, often resulting in injury and death. Fortunately, a solution may come from simply attaching reflectors to the barbed wire – an inexpensive method wildlife officials say can decrease collisions by 70 percent. Here’s hoping this new conservation practice, like the grouse, takes wing and flies.