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Lesser Prairie Chicken

Tympanuchus pallidicinctus

Vulnerable · IUCN Red List

VUVulnerableEndemicInvertebratesGrasslandScrapeLarge · 746 g
Lesser Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), photo 1
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/larry1732/ · CC BY 2.0
Lesser Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), photo 2
Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0
Lesser Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), photo 3
Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0
Lesser Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), photo 4
Photo: Brooke Smith · CC BY 4.0
Lesser Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), photo 5
Photo: Millie Basden · CC BY 4.0
Lesser Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), photo 6
Photo: Millie Basden · CC BY 4.0
Lesser Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), photo 7
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/larry1732/ · CC BY 2.0
Lesser Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), photo 8
Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0
Lesser Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), photo 9
Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0
Lesser Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus), photo 10
Photo: USFWS Endangered Species · Public domain

ID tip

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.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Lesser Prairie Chicken

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 3 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is April, the month with the most records.

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.

Easily confused with

Greater Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido) Greater Prairie ChickenTympanuchus cupidoAdults of both sexes are medium to large chicken-like birds, stocky with round wings. Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) Sharp-tailed GrouseTympanuchus phasianellusAdults have a relatively short tail with the two central (deck) feathers being square-tipped and somewhat longer than their lighter, outer tail feathers giving the bird its distinctive name.

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