Greater Prairie-chicken by Ken _Gilliland

DAZ|Studio • Animals • posted on Jun 03, 2024

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Description

Two male Greater Prairie-chickens vie for king of the lek. This image is a sneak peak at my latest bird model hopefully coming towards the end of June. The Greater Prairie-chicken or Pinnated Grouse is found in the midwest and the northern and central plains of the United States (Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and (perhaps) Texas). Like its name suggests, the Greater Prairie-chicken is similar to a domesticated chicken in shape and size, but that is where the comparison ends. Males have distinct yellow eyebrows and brightly colored air sacs on the sides of their throats. The call it gives from inflated air sacs is a deep bass-like sound hence the nickname "boomer". It is known for its mating dance. They are territorial birds and often defend their booming grounds together in a communal lek. These booming grounds are where they perform their displays in hopes of attracting females. Their displays consist of inflating air sacs located on the side of their neck and snapping their tails. These booming grounds usually have very short or no vegetation. The male prairie-chickens stay on this ground displaying for almost two months. The breeding season usually begins in the United States starting in late March throughout April. During this time the males establish booming sites where they display for the females. The one or two most dominant males will do about 90% of the mating. Due to their now small populations and habitat fragmentation, the greater prairie chickens often undergo inbreeding, causing observable inbreeding depression: with fewer offspring and a decreased survival rate within these limited offspring further aiding their population decrease. The endangered Greater Prairie-chicken is considered bellwethers of the health of America’s Midwestern storied tall grasslands (where the “Buffalo roamed” and the “West was won”). While this species was once abundant, it has now become rare over much of their range due to habitat loss.