Lesser Prairie Chicken
Tympanuchus pallidicinctus
The Lesser Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) is a legendary partridges, pheasants, grouse, and alli found only in the United States, weighing about 746 g. The lesser prairie-chicken is a species in the grouse tribe.
About the Lesser Prairie Chicken
The lesser prairie-chicken is a species in the grouse tribe.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
Adult individuals are medium to large birds, striped white and brown like its near relative, the Greater prairie-chicken (T. cupido), though it is smaller and paler. Adults range from 15.0 to 16.1 inches (38 to 41 cm) in length and 22.1 to 28.7 ounces (630 to 810 g) in weight. Mature males sport yellow, comb-like feathers above each eye, as well as long head feathers that can be raised to show their pinkish-red Gular sacs. One is present on each side of the neck, which becomes inflated to be used in mating displays.
When to see it
Best months: March, April, May, with peak activity in April. It is a passage migrant species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Lesser Prairie Chicken?
- Adult individuals are medium to large birds, striped white and brown like its near relative, the Greater prairie-chicken (T. cupido), though it is smaller and paler. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Lesser Prairie Chicken?
- The Lesser Prairie Chicken is a large sized bird weighing about 746 g.
- Where can you see a Lesser Prairie Chicken?
- The Lesser Prairie Chicken is endemic to the United States, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Lesser Prairie Chicken?
- The Lesser Prairie Chicken is most easily confused with the Greater Prairie Chicken and the Sharp-tailed Grouse.
- Is the Lesser Prairie Chicken endangered?
- The Lesser Prairie Chicken is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Lesser Prairie Chicken for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
Play BeakBrainEvery photo and recording on this page is credited to its author under the licence shown. Spotted a problem with this page, or have a better photo? Contribute.