Greater prairie-chicken
Tympanuchus cupido
Identification Tips:
- 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, orange unfeathered neck patch inflated when displaying
Adult female:
- Shorter head feathers and lacks yellow comb and orange neck patch
Similar species:
Lesser Prarie-Chicken is very similar but has pinkish and
differently-shaped neck patch and generally paler plumage with more finely
barred flanks. The two species almost never overlap in range and habitat.
Sharp-tailed Grouse lacks barring on the underparts and has a longer, pointed
tail with white outer tail feathers.