A chunky, short-tailed, chicken-like bird of Midwest plains. Adults are heavily marked with brown barring over buff undertones on entire body. The head pattern of both males and females includes pale throat, whitish eyeline that connects to a white eye ring and forks into a thin pale supercilium. Males have a fleshy yellow eye comb. When displaying, males puff up yellowish air sacs on either side of neck, raise feathers on nape, lean forward, and fan wings and tail while stomping feet and vocalizing. Lesser Prairie-Chicken of Northern Texas region is nearly identical, but paler overall; note range.

Length: 43 (cm) Wingspan: 71 (cm)

Voice:

Displaying male gives low booming sounds by deflating air sacs; also various clucking and short notes. The hollow ooo-loo-woo sound made when displaying is often described as the sound that is made by blowing across the top of an empty bottle.

Habitat:

Native, tall-grass, damp prairie.

Behavior:

Males display in groups on open prairie, making a variety of strange sounds and occasionally charging each other head-on. Nest is placed in a ground depression, woven with grasses, concealed by standing vegetation.

Feeding:

Forages on ground; eats primarily seeds and fruit, with some insects and other plant material.