Lesser prairie-chicken Tympanuchus pallidicinctus

Identification Tips:

• Length: 13 inches
• Sexes similar
• Medium-sized, stocky, round-winged, chicken-like bird
• Short, rounded, dark tail
• Buff plumage barred extensively about breast, back, wings and belly with darker bars

Adult male:

• Yellow-orange comb over eye
• Dark, elongated head feathers can be raised or lain along neck
• Circular, pinkish unfeathered neck patch inflated when displaying

Adult female:

• Shorter head feathers and lacks yellow comb and pink neck patch

Similar species:

Lesser Prairie-Chicken is very similar to the Greater Prairie-Chicken but males have a pinkish, not yellow, neck patch. The overall plumage of the Lesser is paler and less heavily barred. The Lesser Prairie-Chicken prefers drier habitats. Sharp-tailed Grouse is similar but has a white, pointed tail and spotted, not barred, underparts.

Length and wingspan from: Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc.