Greater Prairie-Chicken

Tympanuchus cupido

Range & Recent Observations

Last Spotted Near You

About the Greater Prairie-Chicken

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. One of the most famous aspects of these creatures is the mating ritual called booming. Carl Linnaeus based his account on the "Le Cocq de bois d'Amerique" that had been described and illustrated by the English naturalist Mark Catesby in his book The Natural History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name: Tympanuchus cupido
Family: Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies
Order: Galliformes

Similar species

Other members of the pheasants, grouse, and allies family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

Know when the Greater Prairie-Chicken turns up near you

Add it to your watchlist and draw an alert zone around the places you actually bird. Birdr checks eBird reports and tells you when one is seen inside it.

How rare bird alerts work →