The lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) is a species of prairie grouse found in the grasslands of the central and southern Great Plains of North America. Its range includes parts of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The lesser prairie-chicken is a smaller relative of the greater prairie-chicken and is known for its colorful spring mating displays on breeding grounds called leks.
The lesser prairie-chicken has experienced significant population declines in recent decades due to habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation. It has been recognized as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act since 2014. Conservation efforts are underway to protect and restore the bird’s native grassland habitat and stabilize population numbers.
Range and Population
The historical range of the lesser prairie-chicken covered over 165,000 square miles across the Great Plains, centered on the sand sagebrush prairie of the Southern High Plains in southeastern Colorado, southwestern Kansas, the panhandle of Oklahoma, eastern New Mexico, and the northern two-thirds of the Texas panhandle.
Within this historical range, the lesser prairie-chicken’s occupied range is estimated to have declined by 84% since the late 1800s. Its range has become fragmented into two geographically isolated populations:
- The larger southern population occurs across the southeastern corner of Colorado, southwest Kansas, the Oklahoma panhandle, northeastern New Mexico, and the northern Texas panhandle.
- The smaller northern population is restricted to remnant sand sagebrush habitat in southeastern Colorado and southwest Kansas.
According to recent surveys, the rangewide population of lesser prairie-chickens is estimated between 17,616 and 33,181 adult birds. Approximately 95% of the population occurs in the Southern High Plains, especially in the sand sagebrush ecoregion of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. The smaller Northern High Plains population has declined to fewer than 1,000 birds restricted to two disjunct breeding areas.
Habitat
The lesser prairie-chicken is endemic to the mixed-grass and sand sagebrush prairies of the Southern Great Plains. Its preferred habitat consists of native rangeland dominated by a mix of grasses (such as sand dropseed, little bluestem, sideoats grama, blue grama, and hairy grama), forbs, and shrubs (especially sand sagebrush).
This specialized habitat provides cover for nesting, feeding, and protection from predators. The structural diversity of the vegetation, with a mix of low growing grasses and small shrubs, is important habitat for lesser prairie-chicken breeding displays, nest sites, and brood-rearing. Large expanses of contiguous rangeland are needed to support viable lesser prairie-chicken populations.
Life History
The lesser prairie-chicken is a medium-sized, ground-dwelling grouse. Males perform mating displays on communal breeding grounds called leks in spring. Nests consist of shallow depressions scratched in the ground and concealed in thicker vegetation, where hens lay and incubate a clutch of 8-14 eggs. Lesser prairie-chickens are primarily herbivores and eat seeds, leaves, buds, and some insects. They prefer habitats with an interspersion of small shrubs, forbs, and grass cover for nesting and brood-rearing. Males provide no parental care, while females defend and care for the young until they fledge at around 2 weeks old.
Population Threats
The lesser prairie-chicken faces a number of threats that have caused substantial population declines:
- Habitat loss: Widespread conversion of native prairie to cropland has dramatically reduced available habitat. Remaining grasslands are highly fragmented.
- Habitat degradation: Much of the remaining habitat has been degraded by inappropriate grazing, fire suppression, energy development, herbicide use, and woody plant invasion.
- Drought: Periodic droughts can reduce reproductive success and survivorship.
- Predation: High rates of nest predation from coyotes, skunks, badgers and other predators.
- Small population size: Small populations are vulnerable to local extirpation and inbreeding.
Habitat loss and fragmentation are widely considered the most serious threats to the lesser prairie-chicken’s long term survival. Conservation of intact native prairies is crucial to support self-sustaining populations.
Conservation Status
Due to ongoing population declines, the lesser prairie-chicken was listed as a threatened species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 2014. It receives additional legal protections from Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico as a threatened or endangered species at the state level.
Its listing initiated the development of a rangewide conservation plan to guide efforts to protect and restore the species. The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) oversees and coordinates conservation actions across the five range states through the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative. WAFWA has developed population objectives and habitat goals to stabilize populations and minimize further habitat fragmentation.
Conservation Actions
Conservation efforts for the lesser prairie-chicken focus on conserving and restoring native rangelands to enhance and connect fragmented habitat across the remaining range. Major initiatives include:
- Voluntary incentive programs that compensate landowners for implementing lesser prairie-chicken conservation practices.
- Prescribed grazing systems, tree removal, and prescribed fire to improve rangeland condition.
- Restoring croplands to grassland habitat.
- Protecting priority habitats through conservation easements.
- Marking fences to reduce collisions.
- Managing energy development to minimize habitat loss and fragmentation.
Substantial progress has been made enrolling over 3 million acres of ranchlands into conservation programs through partnerships between government agencies and landowners. However, habitat protection and restoration sufficient to recover lesser prairie-chicken populations rangewide remains a significant challenge.
Outlook
Lesser prairie-chicken populations and distribution continue to be well below historical levels across the Great Plains. However, ongoing conservation efforts have slowed declines and stabilized populations in some core habitats, especially in Kansas. Significant habitat deficits remain to support self-sustaining populations throughout its range.
The species’ long term outlook depends on continued partnerships among government agencies, NGOs, industry, and private landowners to protect intact prairies and improve habitat conditions across large landscapes. Maintaining commitments to voluntary incentive-based conservation on working ranchlands is key to the lesser prairie-chicken’s survival and recovery.
State | Estimated population |
---|---|
Colorado | 1,000-3,000 |
Kansas | 11,000-19,000 |
New Mexico | 100-500 |
Oklahoma | 4,000-9,000 |
Texas | 1,500-2,500 |
Key Takeaways
- The lesser prairie-chicken is a threatened prairie grouse species whose populations have declined due to habitat loss and fragmentation.
- The majority of the remaining population occurs in the Southern High Plains of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas.
- Conservation efforts focus on protecting and restoring intact native rangelands and improving habitat connectivity.
- Voluntary incentive programs for private landowners are important for habitat conservation across the lesser prairie-chicken’s range.
- Significant habitat deficits remain to be addressed to recover lesser prairie-chicken populations.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the lesser prairie-chicken remains at risk across its restricted five-state range due to ongoing threats. However, targeted conservation initiatives centered on voluntary incentive programs for landowners offer promise for stabilizing populations if sufficient habitat can be protected and restored. Committed collaboration among government agencies, landowners, industry and conservation groups is needed to support viable lesser prairie-chicken populations long-term.