Photo: GregTheBusker / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Near Threatened

Game Birds

Greater Prairie Chicken

Tympanuchus cupido

Greater Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido) — Gamebirds of North America.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 17 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of Canada Birds of the United States Birds of Manitoba Birds of Ontario Birds of Arkansas Birds of Colorado Birds of Connecticut Birds of Iowa Birds of Illinois Birds of Indiana

By family

Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of Canada Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of the United States Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of Manitoba Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of Ontario Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of Colorado Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of Connecticut Pheasants, Grouse & Allies of Illinois

See what's near you right now

The Greater Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido) is a member of the Phasianidae family found in North America. Adults weigh 870 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

NT Near Threatened

Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Galliformes
Family Phasianidae Pheasants & Allies
Genus Tympanuchus
Species cupido

Where it lives

South-central Canada to Texas (south-central USA)

North America

Quick facts

Weight: 870 g
Diet: Seed-eaters
Family: Phasianidae
Order: Galliformes
Habitat: Grassland & open country

How to identify

Similar birds

Least Concern

Hildebrandt’s Spurfowl

Pternistis hildebrandti

Least Concern

Scaly Spurfowl

Pternistis squamatus

Least Concern

Ahanta Spurfowl

Pternistis ahantensis

Least Concern

Przevalski’s Partridge

Alectoris magna

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Greater Prairie Chicken is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.

Behaviour

A bird of open grassland, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Greater Prairie Chicken is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Greater Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido) belongs to the Phasianidae family of the order Galliformes. Its range spans North America. Its distribution covers NA sc Canada to Texas (sc USA).

It is a large bird. Adults weighs around 870 g, with a wing length of about 20.5 cm and a tail of around 8.2 cm.

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 403,000 km².

Songs & calls

Greater Prairie Chicken — Call, song, Lek sounds

Recorded by Sue Riffe Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Greater Prairie Chicken?

The Greater Prairie Chicken is a large bird that weighs around 870 g.

Where does the Greater Prairie Chicken live?

The Greater Prairie Chicken is found across North America with a range covering NA sc Canada to Texas (sc USA), where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.

What family does the Greater Prairie Chicken belong to?

The Greater Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido) belongs to the Phasianidae family, in the order Galliformes.

What does the Greater Prairie Chicken eat?

The Greater Prairie Chicken is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.

Does the Greater Prairie Chicken migrate?

The Greater Prairie Chicken is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Greater Prairie Chicken endangered?

The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.

What sound does the Greater Prairie Chicken make?

1 real field recording of the Greater Prairie Chicken — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Greater Prairie Chicken's range?

The Greater Prairie Chicken has a mapped global range of about 403,000 km².