Montana Field Guide

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Montana Field Guides

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- Kingdom - Animals - Animalia
  - Phylum - Vertebrates - Craniata
    - Class - Birds - Aves
      - Order - Upland Game Birds - Galliformes
        
        Family - Upland Game Birds - Phasianidae
        
        Species - Greater Prairie-Chicken - Tympanuchus cupido

Greater Prairie-Chicken - Tympanuchus cupido

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Native Species

Global Rank: G4
State Rank: SXB

Agency Status
USFWS:
USFS:
BLM:
PIF:

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General Description

Chunky, hen-like bird, heavily barred above and below with dark brown, cinnamon, and pale buff; short rounded tail is black in males, barred in females; male has fleshy yellow-orange eye combs; both sexes have elongate dark neck feathers, longer and erected during courtship in males; males have inflatable golden sacs on each side of the neck.

For a comprehensive review of the conservation status, habitat use, and ecology of this and other Montana bird species, please see Marks et al. 2016, Birds of Montana.

Diagnostic Characteristics

Greater Prairie-Chicken differs from Lesser Prairie-Chicken in being slightly larger, darker, and more heavily barred below. They differ from Sharp-tailed Grouse in being barred below (rather than scaled/spotted) and in having a dark, rounded tail (instead of a mostly white, pointed one).

Species Range

Montana Range Range Descriptions

Historical

Western Hemisphere Range

Range Comments

The only record was from Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge. They are probably no longer present in Montana.

Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database

Number of Observations: 1

(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version) Map Help and Descriptions

Relative Density

Recency

SUMMER (Feb 16 - Dec 14)

Direct Evidence of Breeding

Indirect Evidence of Breeding

No Evidence of Breeding

WINTER (Dec 15 - Feb 15)

Regularly Observed

Not Regularly Observed

(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)

References

Literature Cited AboveLegend: View Online Publication
- Marks, J.S., P. Hendricks, and D. Casey. 2016. Birds of Montana. Arrington, VA. Buteo Books. 659 pages.
Additional ReferencesLegend: View Online Publication
Do you know of a citation we're missing?
- Aldrich, J. W. 1963. Geographic orientation of American Tetraonidae. Journal of Wildlife Management 27:529-545.
- American Ornithologists’ Union [AOU]. 1998. Check-list of North American birds, 7th edition. American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C. 829 p.
- Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. 2017. Pocket Guide to Northern Prairie Birds. Brighton, CO: Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. 98 p.
- Ehrlich, P., D. Dobkin, and D. Wheye. 1988. The birder’s handbook: a field guide to the natural history of North American birds. Simon and Schuster Inc. New York. 785 pp.
- Evans, K. E., and D.L. Gilbert. 1969. A Method for Evaluating Greater Prairie Chickens Habitat in Colorado. J. Wildl. Manage. 33:643-649.
- Gillihan, SW. and T. VerCauteren. 2015. Pocket Guide to Prairie Birds. Brighton, CO: Bird Conservancy of the Rockies. 91 p.
- Hays, R., R.L. Eng, and C.V. Davis (preparers). 1984. A list of Montana birds. Helena, MT: MT Dept. of Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
- Johnsgard, P. A. 1973. Grouse and quail of North America. U. of Nebraska, Lincoln. 553 pp.
- Johnsgard, P.A. 1979. Birds of the Great Plains: breeding species and their distribution. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln. 539 pp.
- Jones, R. E. 1963. Identification and Analysis of Lesser and Greater Prairie Chicken Habitat. J. Wildl. Manage. 27:757-778.
- Joslin, Gayle, and Heidi B. Youmans. 1999. Effects of recreation on Rocky Mountain wildlife: a review for Montana. [Montana]: Montana Chapter of the Wildlife Society.
- Lenard, S., J. Carlson, J. Ellis, C. Jones, and C. Tilly. 2003. P. D. Skaar's Montana bird distribution, 6th edition. Montana Audubon, Helena, MT. 144 pp.
- Montana Bird Distribution Committee. 2012. P.D. Skaar's Montana bird distribution. 7th Edition. Montana Audubon, Helena, Montana. 208 pp. + foldout map.
- MT Fish, Wildlife & Parks. No date. Blackfoot-Clearwater Wildlife Management Area checklist.
- Pavlacky Jr., D.C., et al. 2021. Landscape-scale conservation mitigates the biodiversity loss of grassland birds. Ecological Applications e2548. 17 p.
- Prose, B.L. 1985. Habitat suitability index models: greater prairie-chicken. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv. Biol. Rep. 82(10.102). 33 pp.
- Sibley, D. 2014. The Sibley guide to birds. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY. 598 pp.
- Skaar, P. D., D. L. Flath, and L. S. Thompson. 1985. Montana bird distribution. Montana Academy of Sciences Monograph 3(44): ii-69.
- Skaar, P.D. 1969. Birds of the Bozeman latilong: a compilation of data concerning the birds which occur between 45 and 46 N. latitude and 111 and 112 W. longitude, with current lists for Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, impinging Montana counties and Yellowstone National Park. Bozeman, MT. 132 p.
- U.S. Forest Service. 1991. Forest and rangeland birds of the United States: Natural history and habitat use. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Agricultural Handbook 688. 625 pages.
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Citation for data on this website:
Greater Prairie-Chicken — Tympanuchus cupido. Montana Field Guide. Montana Natural Heritage Program and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Retrieved on April 23, 2024, from https://FieldGuide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=ABNLC13010