About Tympanuchus cupido (Linnaeus, 1758)
Adults of both sexes of Tympanuchus cupido, the greater prairie-chicken, are medium to large chicken-like birds with stocky builds and rounded wings. They have short, typically rounded tails. Adult males have orange comb-like feathers over their eyes, and dark elongated head feathers that can be raised or laid along the neck. Males also have a circular, unfeathered orange neck patch that can be inflated during display, matching the color of their comb feathers. Like many other bird species, adult females have shorter head feathers, and lack the male’s orange comb and orange neck patch. Full-grown greater prairie-chickens measure approximately 43 cm (17 in) in length, weigh between 700 and 1,200 g (25 to 42 oz), and have a wingspan ranging from 69.5 to 72.5 cm (27.4 to 28.5 in). The greater prairie-chicken prefers undisturbed prairie, and was originally native to tallgrass prairie habitats. It can survive in landscapes that mix agricultural land and prairie, but population density is lower in areas with more extensive agriculture. Its diet is made up primarily of seeds and fruit; during the summer, it also consumes green plants and insects including grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles. This species was once widespread across the entire oak savanna and tallgrass prairie ecosystem.
