Rare Species Guide

  Basis for Listing

The Greater Prairie-chicken  (Tympanuchus cupido) historically occupied much of the Great Plains, possibly reaching north into Canada and as far south as Texas (Johnson et al. 2020, Svedarsky et al. 2022). However, the range has contracted substantially because of habitat loss. Today, the primary range of the Greater Prairie-chicken occurs in portions of the prairie states of Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Isolated populations remain in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado, Minnesota, and North Dakota.

In Minnesota, in pre-settlement times, the Greater Prairie-chicken probably only occurred in the extreme southern part of the state, though the extent of its range in the southeast is unknown (Partch 1973; Svedarsky et al. 1997). The species expanded its distribution with the northward spread of agriculture and logging, and by 1880 was found throughout most of the state except northeastern and extreme north-central Minnesota. However, the later conversion of prairie to forest succession and row crops in the early 20th century reduced Greater Prairie-chicken range and numbers. The change in abundance is reflected in the number of birds harvested, approximately 328,914 in 1923 compared to 58,000 in 1942, after which the hunting season was closed (Svedarsky et al. 1997). In 1984, the Greater Prairie-chicken was designated as a species of special concern in Minnesota. Since that time, Greater Prairie-chickens have been restricted to northwestern Minnesota, primarily to the grasslands along the beach ridge complex of Glacial Lake Agassiz (Red River Prairie and Aspen Parklands subsections).

  Description

The Greater Prairie-chicken is a medium-sized grouse. The plumage has buff and dark brown barring on the chest, and the tail is short and rounded, which is distinctly different from the Sharp-tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus), which has a V-shaped pattern on the chest feathers and a white pointed tail. The males have a conspicuous courtship display in which they make a low booming sound as they inflate yellow-orange air sacs on the side of their necks, erect dark elongated feathers behind the head and engorge a bare orange patch above the eyes while jumping, strutting, and stomping.

  Habitat

The preferred habitat of the Greater Prairie-chicken changes throughout the year and consists of large open habitats (Johnson et al. 2020). Because of the large area requirements and the diversity of grassland habitats needed by the Greater Prairie-chicken throughout its life cycle, it is considered an umbrella species for a suite of other grassland species. This means that providing habitat for Greater Prairie-chickens will provide habitat for a suite of other grassland species (Poiani et al. 2001). During the spring breeding season, open expanses of low cover without trees provide booming grounds for courtship activity. This allows females to view male displays, and for the easy detection of predators. Dense, undisturbed cover, approximately 40 cm (16 in.) high and within ~2 km (1.2 mi.) of booming grounds is used for nesting (Johnson et al. 2020). Brood-rearing areas must allow chicks to easily move and forage on insects, while also providing concealment from predators. Cropland and recently disturbed areas are also used for feeding and loafing. Disturbances that maintain grassland habitats include burning, grazing, and haying. In fall and winter, croplands that provide food (grass and forb habitats) and areas that provide cover are needed. When available, the species roosts in snow caves.

  Biology / Life History

Greater Prairie-chickens have high fidelity to breeding, nesting, and wintering sites (Johnson et al. 2020). The Greater Prairie-chicken may be a year-round resident or may migrate short distances (1-170 km; 0.6-106 mi.) between breeding and wintering grounds (Johnson et al. 2020), likely depending on food availability. Females are more likely to migrate than males, who stay nearer to the booming grounds. Greater Prairie-chickens are highly social in all seasons, with mixed flocks of both sexes and ages in winter and segregated flocks during breeding.

In spring, males assemble in open areas known as leks, or booming grounds, to display for females. Each male maintains a small territory on the booming ground and usually returns to the same booming ground each year (Schroeder and Braun 1992). Males jump, flap, strut, stomp their feet, and make a low frequency booming vocalization to attract females. A female signals a potential mate by dropping her wings and squatting. Mating usually occurs on the booming ground.

Females incubate, brood, and rear young alone. Hens build nests in thick vegetation by making a depression in the substrate and lining it with dried vegetation and feathers (Johnson et al. 2020). Females lay an average of 1 egg/day to reach a clutch of about 12 eggs, beginning about four days after mating. The eggs are smooth, slightly glossy, and finely speckled olive-buff in color. Incubation lasts 23-25 days. Egg hatching success is high (80-100%), but nest success (i.e., nests hatching at least 1 egg) is lower and more variable (0-72%; Peterson and Silvy 1996). Nest success is higher earlier in the season, in dense vegetation, with lower nest density, lower predator density, and at a greater distance from leks, (Johnson et al. 2020). Precocial chicks leave the nest to feed with the hen within 24 hours of hatching and chicks can fly well three weeks after hatch. Females raise one brood each season. Brood survival to 24 days is 27-83% (Norton 2005; Matthews et al. 2011; McNew et al. 2012). Broods separate after 80-84 days (Johnson et al. 2020). Predators of adults and chicks include a variety of raptors, mustelids, and canids (Johnson et al. 2020).

The Greater Prairie-chicken eats plants and insects (Johnson et al. 2020). Leaves and seeds are important year-round. Cultivated grains become important in winter, whereas fruit and insects are important during the breeding season. Greater Prairie-chickens generally forage on the ground during morning and evening hours (Johnson et al. 2020).

  Conservation / Management

Declining habitat is the greatest threat to Greater Prairie-chicken populations throughout their range. Greater Prairie-chickens are an area-sensitive species that requires large open grasslands. In Minnesota, the Greater Prairie-chicken uses a mixture of native prairie (Northern Dry Prairie), wet meadows (Prairie Wet Meadow/Carr), and non-native grasslands; habitats disturbed by burning, grazing, or mowing; and cropland (Svedarsky et al. 2022). Where habitat occurs in the right amounts and configuration, populations are stable. In many areas, however, grassland continues to be converted to other land uses or is invaded by woody species through natural succession. Prescribed burning, haying, and grazing can maintain grassland habitats and can benefit

Greater Prairie-chickens, if their needs are incorporated into planning the timing, intensity, and frequency of management (Svedarsky et al. 2022). Acquisition, easements, and other incentive programs can also secure grasslands for Greater Prairie-chickens.

Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) grasslands provide habitat and habitat connectivity for Greater Prairie-chickens in Minnesota and other Midwestern states (Rosenquist 1996; Rodgers 2005; Rodgers and Hoffman 2005). In Minnesota, booming grounds are associated with larger patches of grassland, greater amounts of CRP, less forest, and less residential farmstead (Merrill et al. 1999). Greater Prairie-chicken abundance increases with the amount of CRP grassland and wetland within 2km (1.2 mi.) of booming grounds (Adkins et al. 2019). Strategic application of CRP to improve grassland contiguity can be more effective than a more opportunistic approach (Adkins et al. 2021).

Wind farm development on beach ridges has the potential to negatively impact Greater Prairie-chickens through behavioral avoidance and habitat fragmentation. Greater Prairie-chickens avoid vertical structures because raptors perch on them, and they react similarly to wind towers (Coppes et al. 2020). Thus, wind farms could further fragment the remaining large open grasslands and exacerbate Greater Prairie-chicken population declines. Considering the impacts of wind farms on Greater Prairie-chickens in the design phase could help reduce impacts on the species and the limited habitat that remains.

The Ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) is an exotic species introduced to North America that is a known nest parasite of the Greater Prairie-chicken. Pheasants also disrupt booming grounds and feeding areas. Further research on interactions between Ring-necked pheasants and Greater Prairie-chickens is recommended (Toepfer 2003).

Pesticides may also pose a threat to Greater Prairie-chicken populations. A recent study showed Greater Prairie-chickens in Minnesota are exposed to neonicotinoids in the spring and fall (Roy and Chen 2023). Future research will examine whether this exposure has individual or population-level effects.

  Conservation Efforts in Minnesota

From 1999-2006, the Minnesota DNR relocated Greater Prairie-chickens to portions of west-central Minnesota, south to the Upper Minnesota River Valley. During this effort, 574 Greater Prairie-Chickens were trapped and translocated from northwestern Minnesota to 15 sites, mostly centered around the Lac qui Parle Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and central Big Stone County. In 2006, 100 males were located on 11 booming grounds within the reintroduction area. Unfortunately, a population was not established within the area and the reintroduction was unsuccessful. Translocations of Greater Prairie-chickens and other prairie grouse are rarely successful and even efforts that are deemed successful usually require additional movement of individuals to maintain gains (Snyder et al. 1999).

Greater Prairie-chicken surveys of booming grounds in the spring were conducted by the Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society during 1974-2003 (Roy 2021a). The DNR began coordinating annual population surveys in 2004 using a standardized survey design. Prairie-chicken abundance is recorded in 17 survey blocks in northwestern Minnesota to monitor population trends (Roy 2021a). In 2005, 2,958 male Greater Prairie-chickens were counted on 243 booming grounds (Larson 2005). In 2021, 1,359 males and 110 birds of unknown sex were counted on 124 booming grounds (Roy 2021a).

Based on spring population survey results, the DNR determined that Greater Prairie-chicken populations in northwestern Minnesota could again sustain a modest harvest and a limited-entry hunting season was initiated in 2003. Self-reported hunter satisfaction is high despite the modest bag limits because hunters appreciate the opportunity to pursue the Greater Prairie-chicken in Minnesota (Roy 2021b).

Spring population surveys of Greater Prairie-chickens on booming grounds are also used to determine population trends and the effectiveness of management practices. Land management activities that provide adequate booming, nesting, foraging, roosting, and wintering grounds are required to support Greater Prairie-chickens. Several public and private partners including the Minnesota DNR, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, and the Minnesota Prairie Chicken Society have made considerable efforts to preserve and restore grassland habitat for Greater Prairie-chickens in Minnesota.

Recent Greater Prairie-chicken research in Minnesota has included studies of habitat relationships and CRP (Adkins et al. 2019), simulating strategic implementation of CRP (Adkins et al. 2021), a landscape genetic evaluation of a tallgrass prairie corridor using the Greater Prairie-chicken (Roy and Gregory 2019), an examination of neonicotinoid prevalence in Greater Prairie-chickens (Roy and Chen 2023), and a currently ongoing study of conservation grazing impacts on Greater Prairie-chicken nest success and brood survival.

  Authors/Revisions

Originally published, 2008; updated, 2024

(Note: all content ©MNDNR)

  References and Additional Information

Larson, M. 2005. Spring 2005 Prairie-Chicken survey in Minnesota. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Grand Rapids, Minnesota. 5 pp.

Larson, M. 2007. Grouse surveys in Minnesota during spring 2007. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Grand Rapids, Minnesota. 18 pp.

Natural Heritage Information System, Division of Ecological Resources, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. November 6, 2008. Prairie Chicken Historical Database. St. Paul, Minnesota.

Partch, M. C. 1973. A history of Minnesota's Prairie Chickens. Pages 15-29 in W. D. Svedarsky and T. J. Wolfe, editors. The Prairie Chicken in Minnesota. University of Minnesota, Crookston, Minnesota.

Rodgers, R. D. 2005. Conservation Reserve Program successes, failures, and management needs for open-land birds. Pages 129-134 in A. W. Allen and M. W. Vandever, editors. The Conservation Reserve Program - planting for the future: proceedings of a national conference. United States Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Scientific Investigation Report 2005-5145. 248 pp.

Rodgers, R. D., and R. W. Hoffman. 2005. Prairie Grouse population response to Conservation Reserve Program grasslands: an overview. Pages 120-128 in A. W. Allen and M. W. Vandever, editors. The Conservation Reserve Program - planting for the future: proceedings of a national conference. United States Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Scientific Investigation Report 2005-5145. 248 pp.

Rosenquist, E. L. 1996. Winter aspects of Prairie Chicken ecology in northwest Minnesota. Thesis, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota. 72 pp.

Schroeder, M. A., and L. A. Robb. 1993. Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido). Number 36 in A. Poole and F. Gill, editors. The birds of North America. The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Svedarsky, W. D., T. J. Wolfe, and J. E. Toepfer. 1997. The Greater Prairie-Chicken in Minnesota. Minnesota Wildlife Report 11. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, St. Paul, Minnesota. 19 pp.

Toepfer, J. E. 1994. Reintroduction of Greater Prairie-Chickens into the Kelly's Slough, North Dakota, 1992-1994. Progress Report submitted to North Dakota Game and Fish and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 29 pp.

Toepfer, J. E. 2003. Prairie Chickens and grasslands: 2000 and beyond. A report to the council of chiefs. Society of Tympanuchus Cupido Pinnatus, Ltd. Elm Grove, Wisconsin. 69 pp.