Tympanuchus cupido ORDER: GALLIFORMES FAMILY: PHASIANIDAE
IUCN Conservation Status: Vulnerable
© Mary Tremaine / CLO
A grouse of open grassland, the Greater Prairie-Chicken is known for its mating dance. Males display together in a communal lek, where they raise ear-like feathers above their heads, inflate orange sacs on the sides of their throats, and stutter-step around while making a deep hooting moan.
Displaying male makes booming "whhooo-doo-doooh."
The "Prairie Hens" of Illinois. Story and photos in Living Bird magazine.
Mementos of a Grouse Long Gone: Story in Living Bird magazine.