Lesser Prairie-Chicken
Tympanuchus pallidicinctus

See the National Biological Survey Species Account      and Range Map map
The following list contains the information we have found on places to observe the alarmingly declining Lesser Prairie-Chicken at leks in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

Viewing Opportunities

Birders most often see this prairie grouse at dawn in spring, displaying on their booming grounds. The males are active from March through May with the peak during April. The usual procedure is to go with a group or scout an area the previous day, then arrive under cover of darkness to witness this very dramatic visual and auditory display. Care must be taken in driving rural roads in the sand-sage habitats of sw Kansas, se Colorado and the Oklahoma panhandle or the Shinnery Oak sandhills of w Texas and e New Mexico. Prairie-Chickens display in the pre-dawn to two hours after sunrise and again in the late afternoon to dark in the spring and there is even a fall booming period though the birds are more often seen flying into sorghum fields to feed in then.
COLORADO:

Baca County

Reference: A Birder's Guide to Colorado, 2nd ed. 1987.
         H. R. Holt & J. A. Lane
Contact: none listed

also see Lesser Prairie Chicken - viewing in Colorado
or, contact the Comanche National Grassland:
         office 1 mile S. of Springfield, CO; phone: 719/523-6591.

KANSAS:

Cimarron National Grassland (viewing blinds maintained)

Reference: Birds of Cimarron National Grassland. 1996. Ted. T. Cable
Contact: District Ranger, Cimarron NG, 242 Hwy 56 East, Box J, Elkhart, KS 67950
         316/697-4621.

NEW MEXICO:

1. Mescalero Sands, about 40 miles east of Roswell

Reference: New Mexico Bird Finding Guide, rev. ed. 1992.
         ed. Zimmerman, D. A., M. A. Zimmerman & J. N. Durrie
Contact: BLM, P. O. Box 1857, Roswell, NM 88202, 505/624-1790.
Very comprehensive material was available from the BLM, plus
a "lek trek" is scheduled in April or
birders can make arrangements to accompany a biologist to a lek.

2. Black Hills and Milnesand Area

Reference: New Mexico Wildlife Viewing Guide. 1994. Jane S. MacCarter.
Contact: New Mexico State Land Office, 505/827-5033 or
         New Mexico Dept. of Game & Fish, 505/624-6135.

OKLAHOMA:

1. Arnett, Elllis County (viewing blind maintained)

Reference: Birding, Vol 16, No. 1, Birding Insert, p. 20(O) by Mark Oberle
- or in A Guide to Birding in Oklahoma. 1986. Tulsa Audubon Soc.
Contact: Check at the motel in Arnett, if you are in the area, for directions. [private land]

2. Harper County

"To reach this lek, take US 183 north from Fort Supply for 4.7 miles. Take the first road to the left. Continue for 1 mile, cross the cattle guard and fence line. Look to the south approximately 200 yards for a prairie dog town. The chickens boom in this area. THIS IS PRIVATE PROPERTY. The chickens can be seen well with a scope from the road."
Reference: Oklahoma Rare Bird Alert of April 5, 1997
Contact: none known [Private Land]

TEXAS:

Wheeler, TX

100+ miles east of Amarillo near the Oklahoma border. [private ranch]
Reference: personal communication from Elinor Elder
Contact: Dick Dearmont , Box 122 , Wheeler, TX 79096

Return to Lesser Prairie-Chicken

HOME

Send comments to: Dick and Jean Hoffman at djhoff@ix.netcom.com
URL: http://www.oocities.org/Yosemite/4413/lepc.html

Changes last made on: May 23, 1998

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page