Lesser prairie-chicken
The lesser prairie chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus ) is a species in the grouse family.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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GranivoreSeed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
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FolivoreIn zoology, a folivore is a herbivore that specializes in eating leaves. Mature leaves contain a high proportion of hard-to-digest cellulose, less ...
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FrugivoreA frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. Approx...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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OmnivoreAn omnivore is an animal that has the ability to eat and survive on both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and ani...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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ZoochoryZoochory animals are those that can disperse plant seeds in several ways. Seeds can be transported on the outside of vertebrate animals (mostly mam...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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FlockingFlocking birds are those that tend to gather to forage or travel collectively. Avian flocks are typically associated with migration. Flocking also ...
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Dominance hierarchyA dominance hierarchy (formerly and colloquially called a pecking order) is a type of social hierarchy that arises when members of animal social gr...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withThe Lesser prairie chicken a medium to large grouse, striped white and brown, slightly smaller and paler than its near relative the Greater prairie chicken. Like its larger relative, it is also known for its lekking behavior.
Lesser prairie chickens are found in western Kansas, western Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle including the Llano Estacado, eastern New Mexico, and southeastern Colorado. These birds inhabit sandhills, prairies, shrubby areas, and often visit agricultural fields.
Lesser prairie chickens are gregarious and outside of the breeding season spend time in flocks. They are active during the day and spend most of the time on the ground. These birds do not migrate and live in their native range year-round using grasses and shrubs for food, shelter, and nesting. During cold winter months, they will burrow into the snow for shelter and warmth. They prefer to forage early in the morning and in the late afternoon; feeding occurs mostly on the ground but also in trees, especially in winter. To communicate with each other, Lesser prairie chickens use various cackling and clucking sounds; males are famous for their booming calls which they make during the breeding season.
Lesser prairie chickens are both herbivores (granivores, folivores, frugivores) and carnivores (insectivores). They feed on various seeds, buds, leaves, acorns, fruits, some flowers, and cultivated grains. Insect prey usually includes grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles.
Lesser prairie chickens are polygynous meaning that one male mates with more than one female. With the start of the breeding season which usually occurs in spring, males establish display areas, called leks or booming sites where they defend small territories and display for the females. Females may visit several leks before mating and will accept only a few most dominant males; other males won't mate. After mating, the female selects a nest-site in a protected area where she will scratch a nest and line it with grasses and feathers. She will lay 11 to 14 eggs and incubate them for 24-25 days. The chicks are born fully-developed (precocial) with their eyes open; they are able to leave the nest a few hours after hatching and follow their mother to feeding areas. The female usually remains with her young about 8 to 10 weeks before they are ready to disperse.
Lesser prairie chickens are threatened by habitat loss due to destruction, fragmentation, and degradation. They are also vulnerable to changes in the climate and suffer from droughts.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Lesser prairie chicken is around 22,000-41,000 individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on The IUCN Red List and its numbers today are decreasing.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...