Joann Merritt's Essays

Lesser Prairie Chickens - Just What The Doctor Ordered
April, 1991

The next time anybody calls you chicken, accept the compliment graciously. A chicken is a magnificent creature. On the Midnats Field Check List of the Birds of Midland County there is a note: Lesser Prairie Chicken. Formerly resident in the county. Disappeared when most of the land was plowed. Last reported in 1956. Until today, April 21st, 1991 when Dr. John Adams led us on a pre-dawn field trip to Gaines County to see the Lesser Prairie Chickens, I didn’t realize what a tremendous loss that was.

At our first stop in the sand dunes we were delighted when we heard the Prairie Chickens and saw them silhouetted against the dim early morning light. In the manner of quail they would occasionally fly short distances in the grass and shin oak pasture. They always kept low to the ground, which made it difficult to see them or to follow them with our binoculars. The sun had not yet risen when Mark located a Prairie Chicken on the ground and focused the scope on him. This provided us with a much better view of the bird and we were still hearing their unusual calls and cackles. As we left this place the sun was shining rosy-red as it came up in the hazy eastern sky. We could have gone home happy.

John then led us to a windmill and pond where a cock was booming and displaying. A reference book says the Greater Prairie Chicken booms and the Lesser Prairie Chicken gobbles, but we called it booming. We could hear other males in the nearby area but this particular male seemed to be in charge of the stomping grounds. There were tracks everywhere. One mound of green hoarhound was trampled where he had stood on top of it. All around the plant were innumerable tracks in the bare dirt where he had strutted and danced. I commented on his sturdy looking legs. Believe me, sturdy legs are necessary if one walks very far in these sand dunes! Gary then noticed that the chicken’s legs were feathered. The male’s plumage was beautiful with soft brown and white barring on the breast, dark brown barring on the back and a black tail. Long tufts of feathers dangled smoothly against each side of his neck. The only color we could see was a small yellow comb above his eyes.

Suddenly some power from within took charge. His wings drooped and spread, he fanned his upturned tail feathers and erected the long pointed tufts of feathers on his neck exposing the reddish bare skin of his air sacs. His yellow eyebrow combs became greatly enlarged and stood out with a striking brilliance. For his coup de grace he expanded his air sacs so that in the sunlight they glowed a fluorescent orange. When we were looking toward the sun this beautiful orange color was translucent. The color appeared a dullish red only when we had the sun behind us.

With all these changes accomplished he still had to do his strutting, stomping, booming, cackling and defending of his territory. However, no other male ventured to approach his lek while we were there. We watched entranced for an hour. Now we could go home deliriously happy. We must return, though, for we didn’t see a female or witness the males challenging each other, or find a nest, or….

Fellow naturalists, don’t just read about this experience. To use a current expression “Get a life!” Go observe and hear this for yourselves. Fill Dr. Adams prescription. Rx: One Lesser Prairie Chicken Field Trip, or more as needed.

This is not meant to be a scientific paper, but just an expression of unbounded joy. I think I’ll call them Greater Lesser Prairie Chickens.