This little prairie grouse is very similar to Greater Prairie-Chicken, and the two have hybridized on occasion. Lesser Prairie-Chicken is pale gray-brown overall with extensive barring. The barring on the underparts is finer than that of Greater Prairie-Chicken, and weakens across the belly. Males have solid brown tails, while the tails of females are barred. The throat is buffy or whitish. Elongated feathers on the neck (pinnae) create a broad dark line down the side of the neck. When displaying, males extend pinnea upward, extend primaries backward, and raise their tails. Yellow combs extend above the eyes, and reddish purple air sacks inflate on the sides of the neck.

Length: 38 (cm) Wingspan: 71 (cm)

Voice:

During courtship displays, males produce a high bubbling sound, interspersed with harsh cackling as they dance with a rapid stomping motion and spar with each other.

Habitat:

Sand-sage steppe, shinnery-oak rangelands, shortgrass prairie. Feeds in agricultural fields.

Behavior:

Males gather at leks in the spring to attract females. Solitary during nesting season, Lessers gather in flocks during the winter and fly to grain fields to feed at dawn and dusk.

Feeding:

Feeds on insects, seeds, leaves, and grains.