Greater Prairie-Chicken: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Show-offs · day 5 of 7

Five facts

1. On a lek, the one or two top males can win about 90 % of all the matings.
2. Males puff up orange patches on their necks and snap their tails, showing off for almost two months each spring.
3. In a Kansas study, most hens would not nest within about 400 m of power lines or about 540 m of paved roads.
4. A rare subspecies, Attwater's prairie-chicken, is bred in captivity at places like Houston Zoo, and even at NASA.
5. Illinois counted millions of prairie-chickens in the 1800s. By 2019, only about 200 remained.

The quiz

1. What share of matings can the one or two top males win on a lek?

• About 90 % (correct)
• About 9 %
• About 25 %
• Exactly half

The one or two dominant males can win about 90 % of the matings.

2. What colour are the neck patches the males puff up?

• Blue
• Orange (correct)
• Yellow
• Red

Males puff up orange neck patches.

3. Which structures do hens avoid nesting near?

• Power lines and paved roads (correct)
• Tall prairie grass
• Rivers and lakes
• Old logs and rocks

Hens avoid nesting near power lines and paved roads.

4. Which unusual place helps breed Attwater's prairie-chicken?

• The European Space Agency
• A national army
• A university
• NASA (correct)

Attwater's prairie-chickens are bred at zoos and even at NASA.

5. About how many prairie-chickens remained in Illinois by 2019?

• About 20
• About 2,000
• About 200 (correct)
• About 2 million

By 2019 only about 200 remained in the state.

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