Greater prairie-chicken

The Greater Prairie-Chicken, Tympanuchus cupido, is a large bird in the grouse family. This North American species was once abundant, but has become extremely rare or extinct over much of its range due to habitat loss. There are current efforts to help this species gain the numbers that it once had. One of the most famous aspects of these creatures is the mating ritual called booming.

The Greater prairie-chicken is classified as Vulnerable (VU), considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

The Greater Prairie-Chicken, Tympanuchus cupido, is a large bird in the grouse family. This North American species was once abundant, but has become extremely rare or extinct over much of its range due to habitat loss. There are current efforts to help this species gain the numbers that it once had. One of the most famous aspects of these creatures is the mating ritual called booming. More

Greater Prairie-Chickens prefer undisturbed prairie and were originally found in tall grass prairies. They can tolerate agricultural land mixed with prairie, but the more agricultural land the fewer prairie-chickens. Their diet consists primarily of seeds and fruit but during the summer they also eat insects and green plants. These birds were once widespread all across the oak savanna and tall grass prairie ecosystem. The Greater Prairie-Chicken was almost extinct in the 1930s due to hunting pressure and habitat loss. More

A grouse of open grassland, the Greater Prairie-Chicken is known for its mating dance. Males display together in a communal lek, where they raise ear-like feathers above their heads, inflate orange sacs on the sides of their throats, and stutter-step around while making a deep hooting moan. More

to indicate the breeding distribution of Greater Prairie-Chicken in the United States and southern Canada. Although birds frequently are observed outside the breeding range indicated, the maps are intended to show areas where managers might concentrate their attention. It may be ineffectual to manage habitat at a site for a species that rarely occurs in an area. The species account begins with a brief capsule statement, which provides the fundamental components or keys to management for the species. More

The story of the Greater Prairie-Chicken is one of response More

The Greater Prairie-Chicken was once found in abundance across much of the American grasslands. Now, the population is less than 500,000 and is losing ground— literally. Our recent work in Wisconsin has helped conserve several tracts of land where the Greater Prairie-Chicken can continue its famous dance. Prairie chickenPhoto: Doug Dance/www.ddancenaturephotography. More

Bent Life History for the Greater Prairie-Chicken - the common name and sub-species reflect the nomenclature in use at the time the description was written. GREATER PRAIRIE CHICKEN TYMPANUCHUS CUPIDO AMERICANUS (Reichenbach) HABITS The prairie chicken ranks first among the game birds of the prairies of our Middle West. It is to the prairie what the rutted grouse is to the wooded sections of the country. More

The dawn courtship displays of the Greater Prairie-Chicken are one of the most stirring wildlife spectacles of the central United States and Canada. Sadly, habitat loss has led to steep declines of the species across its range, leaving one subspecies extinct and another nearly so. Once present in large numbers across wide expanses of native prairie and woodlands, the Greater Prairie-Chicken now occurs only in small, scattered populations. Even where still present, their future remains a matter of grave and immediate doubt. More

The Greater Prairie-Chicken is a large member of the grouse family found in North America. This species is currently extremely rare due to habitat loss throughout its breeding range. These birds are permanent residents, and do not migrate in winter months. Its natural habitat includes undisturbed prairies, especially those of tall grass. With increased amounts of agricultural land, numbers of the Greater Prairie-Chicken decrease significantly. Diets for the species consist of seeds, fruit, insects and green vegetation. More

and greater prairie-chicken wintered on that area in 1979 (40 birds), 1983 (22 birds) and 1987 (5 birds). This species was recorded on the Grand Island Christmas Bird Count for the first time in 1983. Greater prairie-chickens were recorded on Mormon Island in March 1981, 1983, and 1984 and on 15 February 1985. There are no summer records and one fall record (November 1980) for Mormon Island. More

From 1997 through 2000, we captured 216 Greater Prairie-Chickens in Osage County , Oklahoma , 204 of which were radio-tagged. Research was conducted on The Nature Conservancy’s Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, and other nearby private ranches. The Greater Prairie-Chicken population in Oklahoma declined dramatically in the early-mid 1990s, prompting the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation to close the hunting season in 1997 until a certain population standard is met. More

the Greater Prairie-Chicken danced every spring in small groups, called leks, from the Atlantic coast to the foot of the Rocky Mountains. A relative of the grouse, the Greater Prairie-Chicken is a grassland specialist. Appearance: All three subspecies of Greater Prairie-Chicken, are round, stocky ground-dwelling birds with uniformly barred plumage and rounded tails. Male birds in courtship display are impressive with inflated orange pouches of skin on either side of their necks. More

All three subspecies of the Greater Prairie-Chicken have had population declines. The Heath Hen is extinct, the Attwater’s Prairie-Chicken is endangered, and the Greater Prairie-Chicken is declining over much of its range. Its inflatable, colored air sacs and its springtime courtship displays on communal booming grounds have made it an iconic symbol of the tallgrass prairie. The large, meaty prairie-chicken is a tempting meal for many hawks, as well as foxes and coyotes. More

Greater Prairie-Chickens once thrived widely in native prairie intermixed with oak (Quercus spp.) woodland in central North America, their populations extending to both the northeast and south-central coasts. The distribution of this species changed as prairie and woodland habitats were converted to cropland. Remaining populations are restricted to prairie intermixed with cropland, primarily in the mid-western states. The three recognized subspecies of Greater Prairie-Chickens vary slightly in appearance but dramatically in status. One, the Heath Hen (T. c. More