Greater Prairie-Chicken

Status: The three recognized subspecies of Greater Prairie-Chickens differ dramatically in status. One, the Heath Hen, is extinct. Another, the Attwater's Prairie-Chicken is critically endangered and occurs only in two sites on the Gulf Coast of Texas. The Greater Prairie -Chicken is extinct or in danger of extinction in 15 states, but reasonably abundant in four states.

Habitat/Range: Habitat is characterized by mid and tallgrass prairie in prairie-openings like those interspersed among oak woodland and oak-savannah systems. Prefer prairie-openings interspersed among oak woodland and oak savanna. Dense grassland is necessary for  roosting, loafing, and nesting.

Threats: Habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation due to the conversion of grass and rangeland to cropland and pastures, overgrazing and brush control.

Restoration Potential: Moderate grazing and selective use of herbicides in overgrazed shrublands can maintain or improve habitat.

Places We Are Protecting:

• Fox Ranch/ Arikaree River, Colorado
• Flint Hills, Kansas

Illustrations by David Allen Sibley from The National Audubon Society: The Sibley Guide to Birds published by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. Copyright © 2000 by Chanticleer Press and David Allen Sibley. No illustrations may be copied, reproduced, or reused without the express written permission of the copyright holders.