Tympanuchus cupido
Length: 16-18 Weight: 2-3 lbs
Identification:
Tan/gray overall with black barring and white spotting. Yellow comb, and purple throat skin shown by displaying male.
Distribution:
Resident of prairie from Kansas to North Dakota.
Cool Facts:
Greater Prairie Chickens are at risk of extinction due to loss of their native prairie habitat. The Heath Hen, a subspecies of Greater Prairie Chicken found on the East Coast, went extinct in 1932. The Texas subspecies is critically endangered, and even the main subspecies has lost a significant portion of its historic range over the past century.
Part of this bird’s fanciful mating ritual includes a “booming” display, and the birds themselves are sometimes called Boomers.
The species name cupido allegedly derives from the resemblance of this bird’s head feathers to the small wings of Cupid in Greek mythology.
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References:
Bird on the Move 