Greater prairie-chicken
The Greater Prairie-Chicken is a flightless bird that inhabits the open grasslands of the central United States, belonging to the grouse family of gamebirds. Once abundant across the plains, their population has significantly declined due to hunting and habitat destruction, leading to their classification as a vulnerable species. These birds measure about 1.5 feet in length and are characterized by their brown plumage, which features a pattern of yellow bars that provides camouflage in their grassland habitats. Males are distinguished by bright yellow or orange markings above their eyes and inflatable air sacs on their necks, which they use during elaborate courtship displays at a communal breeding site called a lek.
Greater Prairie-Chickens are omnivores, feeding on a diverse diet that includes plants, grains, and insects. During the breeding season, males engage in competitive displays to attract females, who choose mates based on these performances. After mating, females lay eggs in a shallow nest and raise the young on their own. Despite their social behaviors, these birds face threats from predators and environmental changes. Their life expectancy is typically between two to three years, highlighting their vulnerability in the face of ongoing ecological pressures.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Greater prairie-chicken
Greater prairie-chickens are flightless birds which live in the open grasslands of the central United States. They are members of the grouse family of gamebirds and used to be abundant on the plains. In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, hunting and habitat destruction have caused a drop in the population of these birds.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Galliformes
Family: Phasianidae
Genus: Tympanuchus
Species: Cupido
The bodies of greater prairie-chickens are about 1 1/2 feet (45 centimeters) long, and their tails are four inches (10 centimeters) long. Both male and female have brown plumage, or feathering, with a pattern of yellow bars. These colors and this pattern help camouflage these birds in the grass and weeds of its prairie and grassland habitats. Their tails are short and rounded with white feathers on the undersides. The uppersides of females' tails are brown and white, while the males' tails are all brown. Distinguishing marks of the males are the yellow or orange marks over their eyes and the air sacs on their necks that they inflate during courtship. They also have 10 black feathers which hang from the backs of their necks and which they erect to form a crest. The females also have 10 neck feathers, but they are shorter and cannot stand up straight.
Greater prairie-chickens are omnivores, meaning they eat plants and meat. They forage chiefly for nuts, plants, and grains, such as corn, wheat, sorghum, and rice. Other main and basic foods are grasshoppers, locusts, and other insects. In the spring they eat buds from various trees, such as poplar, elm, pine, birch, and apple, as well as other green vegetation. They also swallow whole hazelnuts and acorns. During the breeding season, they may search for soybeans, sedges (coarse grasses), leaf-like grasses, and the heads of flowers.
It appears that males are territorial and keep their territories year-round, while some females may migrate in harsh winters. The birds also appear to be social in that females may live within males' territories. In March or April, the males gather in a small group at a place called a lek. A lek is an area on the breeding grounds where the males all display their tail and crest feathers, while inflating their orange and yellow air sacs. As they stomp their feet, they produce loud, booming calls which sound like air being blown across the tops of bottles. Each male fights to get into and stay in the center of the lekking ground as they display their feathers and call. The females choose the males in the center of the lekking area. Males may mate with more than one female in a season. After mating, the female lays one egg each day for five to 17 days in the nest. The nest is a shallow hollow in the ground called a scrape. She incubates the eggs by herself for 23 to 24 days. She also raises the young by herself when they hatch from their brown-speckled, light-colored shells. The mother cares for her young for 10 to 12 weeks.
Coyotes, owls, hawks, and goshawks prey upon adult greater prairie-chickens. Prairie-chicken nests are threatened by snakes, raccoons, skunks, foxes, badgers, and ground squirrels. The life span of the greater prairie-chicken is between two and three years. Hunting, habitat loss, and climate change have caused the greater prairie-chicken to become a vulnerable species.
Bibliography
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “Greater Prairie-Chicken Identification.” All About Birds, 2024, www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Greater‗Prairie-Chicken/id#. Accessed 4 Apr. 2024.
Lavaty, Greg. “Greater Prairie-Chicken.” American Bird Conservancy, 2024, abcbirds.org/bird/greater-prairie-chicken. Accessed 4 Apr. 2024.