Index of Species Information
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Tympanuchus cupido, T. pallidicinctus
Introductory
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Tympanuchus cupido, T. pallidicinctus
AUTHORSHIP AND CITATION :
Snyder, S. A. 1992. Tympanuchus cupido, T. pallidicinctus. In:
Fire Effects Information System, [Online]. U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory (Producer).
Available: www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/animals/bird/tymp/all.html [].
ABBREVIATION :
TYMP
TYCU
TYPA
COMMON NAMES :
prairie-chickens
greater prairie-chicken
lesser prairie-chicken
Attwater's greater prairie-chicken
heath hen
TAXONOMY :
The currently accepted scientific name for the greater prairie-chicken
is Tympanuchus cupido (Linnaeus). The scientific name for the lesser
prairie-chicken is Tympanuchus pallidicinctus (Ridgway). Some authors
consider the lesser prairie-chicken a subspecies of the greater prairie-
chicken, while other authors consider them distinct species [1,11].
This report will cover both and treat them as separate species.
The typical subspecies of greater prairie-chicken is extinct. There are
two extant subspecies [1,11]:
Tympanuchus cupido subsp. pinnatus (Brewster)
Tympanuchus cupido subsp. attwateri Bendirei Attwater's greater prairie-chicken
Prairie-chickens hybridize with sharp-tailed grouse (T. phasianellus) [27].
ORDER :
Galliformes
CLASS :
Bird
FEDERAL LEGAL STATUS :
The Attwater's greater prairie-chicken is listed as Endangered. The lesser
prairie-chicken is listed as Threatened [28].
OTHER STATUS :
Information on state- and province-level protection status of animals in the
United States and Canada is available at NatureServe, although recent changes
in status may not be included.
WILDLIFE DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Tympanuchus cupido, T. pallidicinctus.
GENERAL DISTRIBUTION :
Prairie-chicken ditribution is listed below [11]:
T. cupido ssp. cupido - formerly along the East Coast, from
Massachusetts south to Maryland and inland
to north-central Tennessee
T. c. ssp. pinnatus - in small isolated populations in Michigan,
Wisconsin, Illinois, northwestern Minnesota,
eastern North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska,
Kansas, Missouri, and northern Oklahoma
T. c. ssp. attwateri - Texas Coastal Plain
T. pallidicinctus - southeastern Colorado, southwestern Kansas
through western Oklahoma, eastern New Mexico,
and the Texas Panhandle
ECOSYSTEMS :
FRES10 White-red-jack pine
FRES14 Oak-pine
FRES15 Oak-hickory
FRES19 Aspen-birch
FRES29 Sagebrush
FRES31 Shinnery
FRES32 Texas savanna
FRES33 Southwestern shrubsteppe
FRES38 Plains grasslands
FRES39 Prairie
STATES :
| CO |
IL |
KS |
MI |
MN |
MO |
NE |
NM |
ND |
OK |
| SD |
TX |
WI |
BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS :
13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont
14 Great Plains
16 Upper Missouri Basin and Broken Lands
KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS :
K054 Grama - tobosa prairie
K065 Grama - buffalograss
K069 Bluestem - grama prairie
K070 Sandsage - bluestem prairie
K071 Shinnery
K074 Bluestem prairie
K075 Nebraska Sandhills prairie
K077 Bluestem - sacahuista prairie
K084 Cross Timbers
K088 Fayette prairie
SAF COVER TYPES :
1 Jack pine
16 Aspen
SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES :
NO-ENTRY
PLANT COMMUNITIES :
Lesser prairie-chickens inhabit the arid grasslands of New Mexico,
Colorado, and Texas [11,20,22]. Plant communities include sand
sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia)-little bluestem (Schizachyrium
scoparium) types with sand dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus), purple
threeawn (Aristida purpurea), and switchgrass (Panicum virgatum).
Lesser prairie-chickens also inhabit shin oak (Quercus havardii)-big
bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) types. Greater prairie-chickens inhabit
climax grasslands of the eastern Great Plains [5,11]. These prairies
are dominated by big and little bluestem, indiangrass (Sorghastrum
nutans), and switchgrass (Panicum spp.). Oak (Quercus spp.)-hickory
(Carya spp.) forests may have once been used by greater prairie-chickens
[11].
BIOLOGICAL DATA AND HABITAT REQUIREMENTS
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Tympanuchus cupido, T. pallidicinctus
TIMING OF MAJOR LIFE HISTORY EVENTS :
Age of Maturity - 1 year
Mating Season - mid-March through mid-May; males are polygamous
Nesting - about 14 days following mating, peaks in May; can nest
more than once during season
Clutch - lays 12 to 14 eggs; precocial young hatch after 23 days
Life Span - probably survives no more than 5 years in the wild
Home Range - can be as large as 1,267 acres (506.8 ha) for males and
577 acres (230.8 ha) for females
[21,26]
PREFERRED HABITAT :
Greater prairie-chickens prefer shortgrass and midgrass prairies mixed
with tall grasses. In these types they choose edges of midgrass and
tallgrass interfaces for day resting, and choose heavier shrub cover for
nesting. Lesser prairie-chickens prefer shortgrass prairies intermixed
with shrubs, and sites with more dense cover [10]. Prairie-chickens of
both species prefer bluegrasses for nesting throughout their range. The
ideal grass height for nesting is 11.8 inches (30 cm) [31]. A study in
Oklahoma showed that greater prairie-chickens tolerated an average of
2-inch (5 cm)-taller grass than lesser prairie-chickens [13]. In
Wisconsin, greater prairie-chickens preferred pastures, stubble fields,
and mowed hayfields for booming grounds, where they display and
establish territories before mating [29]. In Kansas, prairie-chickens
used sorghum fields during winter and forest edges on ridges during all
seasons [21].
COVER REQUIREMENTS :
Prairie-chickens need open grasslands for brood rearing and feeding,
more open and shorter grasslands for booming grounds, and scattered
shrub thickets for protection from weather and predators [7,11,22].
Prairie-chickens seem to nest in the taller grasses (8 to 15 inches
[16.5-38 cm]) found within their ranges [5]. A stable winter food
source is more important for greater prairie-chickens than protection
against the cold. Therefore, native grasslands mixed with small grain
agricultural fields are ideal habitat [6]. Adequate cover with 0.5 mile
of booming grounds is necessary because females tend to nest within this
distance. Optimum cover for lesser prairie-chickens consists of
midgrass to tallgrass prairies for nesting and winter cover, mixed with
lower seral stage grasses for brood rearing and feeding [26]. They need
more shrubs for shade during the hot summer months than do greater
prairie-chickens [6].
FOOD HABITS :
Adult prairie-chickens eat mostly seeds and greens of plants, while
chicks feed on insects for the first several months after hatching.
Studies in Oklahoma on adjacent ranges of lesser and greater prairie
chickens revealed surprising differences in the food plants selected
[13]. Greater prairie-chickens preferred western ragweed (Ambrosia
psilostachya), Japanese brome (Bromus japonicus), sedge (Carex spp.),
lespedeza (Lespedeza stipulacea), sorghum (Sorghum vulgare), and
goldenrod (Solidago spp.). Lesser prairie-chickens preferred sand
sagebrush (Artemesia filifolia), fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica), sleepy
siline (Silene antirrhina), and sixweek fescue (Festuca octoflora).
Other food plants used by both species include corn (Zea mays), wheat
(Triticum spp.), rye (Secale spp.), alfalfa (Medicago spp.), buckwheat
(Eriogonum spp.), rose (Rosa spp.), birch (Betula spp.), aspen (Populus
spp.), elm (Almus spp.), hazelnut (Corylus spp.), oak (Quercus spp.),
sweetclover (Melilotus spp.), partridge pea (Cassia fasciculata), broom
snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae), and violet (Violet spp.) [5,11,22].
PREDATORS :
Prairie-chicken predators include man; feral and domestic dogs (Canis
spp.); skunks and weasels (Mustelidae); red fox (Vulpes vulpes); raptors
(Accipitridae); crows, ravens, and magpies (Corvidae); and many species
of snake.
MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS :
Both greater and lesser prairie-chicken populations have declined
rapidly in this century due to habitat destruction and overharvesting
[11]. Now all populations are limited to isolated areas of their
historic range. Lesser prairie-chickens are declining in Kansas from
overirrigation of the sandsage prairie [23].
Shinnery oak (Quercus havardii) rangelands in Texas and New Mexico are
often treated with the herbicide Tebuthiuron. Untreated oak stands that
are allowed to grow and outcompete grasses will eventually be unsuitable
habitat for prairie-chickens. However, as prairie-chickens do eat acorn
mast and use the oaks for shade, a mix of untreated and treated stands
can be a benefit to the birds [20].
Rotational, deferred, and moderately grazed pastures can also benefit
prairie-chickens. Grazing that maintains mid-seral to climax grasses
will provide adequate cover and food [26]. Slightly heavier grazing can
maintain open spots for booming grounds [17].
FIRE EFFECTS AND USE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Tympanuchus cupido, T. pallidicinctus
DIRECT FIRE EFFECTS ON ANIMALS :
June fires can destroy prairie-chicken nests [25].
HABITAT RELATED FIRE EFFECTS :
For the most part, fires are beneficial to prairie-chickens because they
can increase food; reduce litter for travelways, dusting grounds, and
booming grounds; and stimulate grass growth for brooding and hiding
cover [14,19,25].
Fires do not seem to negatively affect immediate use of booming grounds.
Following an April fire on prairie-chicken booming grounds in Wisconsin,
males reestablished their territory the morning after the fire [2].
April fires in shinnery oak communities prevent acorn production during
the burn year but maintain oak as low shrubs [18]. Bluestem forage
production in these types decreased with spring fires, but sand bluestem
(Andropogon gerardii ssp. paucipilus) and switchgrass production
increased. Annual spring burning in aspen parkland in Minnesota
resulted in increased flowering of big and little bluestem [24].
December fires in Texas encouraged Atwater's prairie-chickens to use
previously unused areas for booming grounds and nesting [4]. Birds
nested within 400 yards (366 m) of the recently burned, ungrazed plots.
Burned plots that were grazed following fire did not show a significant
increase in prairie-chicken use. Fall burning increased grass and forb
yields more than spring burning did. Insects also increased.
March and August fires on Illinois prairies resulted in an increase in
the prairie-chicken population [30]. More nests were found in burned
areas after the second, third, and fourth seasons following both March
and August fires. Hens were more attracted to the vegetation after
August fires. However, March fires are more suitable for prairie
restoration where redtop (Agrostis alba) and timothy (Phleum pratense)
grasses have invaded native grass prairies.
FIRE USE :
Prescribed fires can stimulate growth of food and cover plants. They
also can reduce cover in booming grounds, and possibly reduce parasites
[15,19]. Burning can be used in conjunction with mowing every 3 to 5
years to enhance prairie grasses [31]. In areas where ring-necked
pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) parasitize prairie-chicken nests, autumn
grass fires can reduce pheasant nest cover.
No more than one half of all nesting cover within 1 mile of a booming
ground should be burned in any single year because prairie-chickens
usually nest within this range [30]. Burning in late September or early
October can create these display grounds in autumn and spring. Fire
lanes can provide dusting sites, travel lanes, and the desired edge for
nesting [30].
In shinnery oak communities, fire can be used to reduce oak and
stimulate growth of understory grasses [7]. However, some grasses may
not recover quickly enough to provide alternative cover in place of
bluestem grasses, which tend to decrease in these communities following
fire.
Fires at 3- to 5-year intervals are recommended on Minnesota prairies to
stimulate grass growth for prairie-chickens [24]. More frequent fires
are recommended where heavy shrub cover needs to be reduced. Optimum
cover has been determined at 15 percent brush to 85 percent grassland.
FIRE REGIMES :
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this
species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under
"Find Fire Regimes".
REFERENCES
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Tympanuchus cupido, T. pallidicinctus
REFERENCES :
1. Donohoe, Robert W. 1974. American hornbeam Carpinus caroliniana Walt.
In: Gill, John D.; Healy, William M., eds. Shrubs and vines for
northeastern wildlife. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-9. Upper Darby, PA: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest
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2. Anderson, Raymond K. 1969. Prairie chicken responses to changing
booming-ground cover type and height. Journal of Wildlife Management.
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reptiles, and amphibians by BLM physiographic regions and A.W. Kuchler's
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U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 169 p.
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prairie chicken habitat manipulation in the Texas coastal prairie. In:
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5. Christisen, Donald M. 1981. Significance of native prairie to greater
prairie chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) survival in Missouri. In:
Stuckey, Ronald L.; Reese, Karen J., eds. The Prairie Peninsula--in the
"shadow" of Transeau: Proceedings, 6th North American prairie
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Symposium; 1980 September 17 - September 18; Stillwater, OK. Stillwater,
OK: Oklahoma State Publishing and Printing: 59-63. [17923]
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selection and vegetation characteristics in tebuthiuron-treated and
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deer and elk in the Idaho Primitive Area. Wildlife Monograph No. 21. 39
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interaction between prairie chickens and sharp-tailed grouse in the
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prairie chicken habitat. Journal of Wildlife Management. 27: 757-778.
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of the conterminous United States. Special Publication No. 36. New York:
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14-15; Tallahassee, FL. Tallahassee, FL: Tall Timbers Research Station:
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20. Olawsky, Craig Donald. 1987. Effects of shinnery oak control with
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