Lesser Prairie-Chicken

Description: The lesser prairie-chicken is easily distinguished from other types of grouse by the pinnae, which are long neck feathers that stand up over the head during courtship. Birds are dark brown and tan, though they are slightly lighter on the chest and undersides than the greater prairie-chicken. The tail is short and rounded. The male has a pink-orange eye comb and neck sacs and shorter pinnae than those of the greater prairie-chicken. Males have barring on their tails across the center portion. On the hens, the tail is barred all the way across, the pinnae are much less distinguished, and the neck sacs and eye combs are not present. Average size: 15-17 inches. Average weight: 1 ½ -2 pounds.

Science: Lesser prairie-chickens are found in the southern arid shortgrass prairies of Kansas, New Mexico, and the Texas and Oklahoma panhandle. These birds are strong fliers and may travel as far as thirty miles between winter and summer grounds. They eat small grains such as wheat, milo and corn, though they will also eat the seeds and leaves of many prairie plants. They’ll sometimes travel several miles before dawn from their roosting area to feed. In the winter, they form large packs of up to a couple hundred birds. Their population is declining as prairie grasslands are converted to agricultural use. Birds have been reintroduced in some areas.

Hunting: Because of their population, these birds can only be legally hunted in a few states. Early in the season, birds can be hunted with wide-ranging pointers. As it gets colder, birds pack up and become more wary. Hunters will sometimes find a flight path from the roosting area to the feeding area, set up a blind, and pass shoot birds. The eating quality is fair: the meat is dark.