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Difference between revisions of "Greater Prairie Chicken" - BirdForum Opus

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[[Image:Greater Prairie Chicken-Colorado.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Displaying adult male <br />Photo by {{user|ruby99|ruby99}}<br />Northeast [[Colorado]], [[USA]], April 2010]]
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[[Image:Greater Prairie Chicken-Colorado.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Displaying adult male <br />Photo &copy; by {{user|ruby99|ruby99}}<br />Northeast [[Colorado]], [[USA]], April 2010]]
 
;[[:Category:Tympanuchus|Tympanuchus]] cupido
 
;[[:Category:Tympanuchus|Tympanuchus]] cupido
 
==Identification==
 
==Identification==
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==Distribution==
 
==Distribution==
 
Mainly seen in [[Kansas]], [[Nebraska]], [[South Dakota]], and [[Missouri]], with smaller populations in [[Colorado]], [[North Dakota]], [[Minnesota]], [[Wisconsin]], [[Illinois]], [[Oklahoma]], [[Iowa]], and [[Texas]].
 
Mainly seen in [[Kansas]], [[Nebraska]], [[South Dakota]], and [[Missouri]], with smaller populations in [[Colorado]], [[North Dakota]], [[Minnesota]], [[Wisconsin]], [[Illinois]], [[Oklahoma]], [[Iowa]], and [[Texas]].
[[Image:Attwater's PC GL10.jpg|thumb|450px|right|Male of the Attwater's subspecies <br />Photo by {{user|Peacefrog2|Greg Lavaty}}<br />[[Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR]], [[Texas]], [[USA]], July 2009]]
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[[Image:Attwater's PC GL10.jpg|thumb|450px|right|Male of the Attwater's subspecies <br />Photo &copy; by {{user|Peacefrog2|Greg Lavaty}}<br />[[Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR]], [[Texas]], [[USA]], July 2009]]
 
==Taxonomy==
 
==Taxonomy==
 
The species itself belongs to the Genus [[Tympanuchus]], but placed in [[Tetraonidae]] by some authorities<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>.
 
The species itself belongs to the Genus [[Tympanuchus]], but placed in [[Tetraonidae]] by some authorities<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>.
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==Habitat==
 
==Habitat==
[[Image:Attwater's PC GL5.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Female of the Attwater's subspecies <br />Photo by {{user|Peacefrog2|Greg Lavaty}}<br />[[Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR]], [[Texas]], [[USA]], July 2009]]
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[[Image:Attwater's PC GL5.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Female of the Attwater's subspecies <br />Photo &copy; by {{user|Peacefrog2|Greg Lavaty}}<br />[[Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR]], [[Texas]], [[USA]], July 2009]]
 
Seen in tall-grass prairies.
 
Seen in tall-grass prairies.
 
==Behaviour==
 
==Behaviour==

Revision as of 16:55, 9 October 2019

Displaying adult male
Photo © by ruby99
Northeast Colorado, USA, April 2010
Tympanuchus cupido

Identification

41–47 cm
The entire body is covered in bars.

Distribution

Mainly seen in Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Missouri, with smaller populations in Colorado, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Texas.

Male of the Attwater's subspecies
Photo © by Greg Lavaty
Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR, Texas, USA, July 2009

Taxonomy

The species itself belongs to the Genus Tympanuchus, but placed in Tetraonidae by some authorities[1].

Subspecies

There are 3 subspecies[1]:

  • T. c. pinnatus:
  • T. c. cupido: (Heath Hen)
  • Formerly north-eastern US; extirpated ca 1932
  • T. c. attwateri: (Attwater's)
  • Coastal south-eastern Texas

Status

The Attwater's subspecies of the Texas coastal grasslands is critically endangered.

Habitat

Female of the Attwater's subspecies
Photo © by Greg Lavaty
Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR, Texas, USA, July 2009

Seen in tall-grass prairies.

Behaviour

Often seen in flocks of over 15. This species is famous for the male's displays on the lek.

Diet

Their main diet consists of grains.

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2014. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.9., with updates to August 2014. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved August 2014)

Recommended Citation

External Links

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