Greater Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Greater Prairie Chicken

Tympanuchus cupido (Linnaeus, 1758)

43 cmLength870 gWeight

The greater prairie-chicken or pinnated grouse (Tympanuchus cupido), sometimes called a boomer, is a large bird in the grouse tribe.

Most records: United States

Near Threatened

Where and when it's recorded

Most records: United States

Greater Prairie Chicken has been recorded at 2 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Cheyenne Bottoms WAUnited States29 records
  2. Aransas NWR (CTC 037)United States3 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United States

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The greater prairie-chicken or pinnated grouse (Tympanuchus cupido), sometimes called a boomer, is a large bird in the grouse tribe. This North American species was once abundant but has become extremely rare or extirpated over much of its range due to habitat loss, natural disasters, and overhunting. Conservation measures are underway to ensure the sustainability of existing small populations.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Greater Prairie Chicken?

The Greater Prairie Chicken is about 43 cm long and weighs around 870 g.

Where does the Greater Prairie Chicken live?

Its breeding range: North America: south-central Canada to Texas (south-central USA). It is most often recorded in United States.

Is the Greater Prairie Chicken endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Greater Prairie Chicken as Near Threatened.

What does the Greater Prairie Chicken eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the Greater Prairie Chicken in?

It belongs to the family Pheasants & Allies (Phasianidae), order Galliformes.

At a glance

Length
43 cm
Weight
870 g
Habitat
Grassland
Diet
Seeds
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Near Threatened
More measurements
Wing
205 mm
Tail
82 mm
Bill
24 mm
Tarsus
42 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

North America: south-central Canada to Texas (south-central USA)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Pheasants & Allies Phasianidae
Genus
Tympanuchus

Other birds in the genus Tympanuchus

Sharp-tailed GrouseSharp-tailed GrouseTympanuchus phasianellusLesser Prairie ChickenLesser Prairie ChickenTympanuchus pallidicinctusUdzungwa Forest PartridgeUdzungwa Forest PartridgeXenoperdix udzungwensisFerruginous PartridgeFerruginous PartridgeCaloperdix oculeusCrested PartridgeCrested PartridgeRollulus rouloulBlack PartridgeBlack PartridgeMelanoperdix nigerHill PartridgeHill PartridgeArborophila torqueolaSichuan PartridgeSichuan PartridgeArborophila rufipectusChestnut-breasted PartridgeChestnut-breasted PartridgeArborophila mandelliiWhite-necklaced PartridgeWhite-necklaced PartridgeArborophila gingica
Greater Prairie Chicken

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Judd Patterson. ↗

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