Western prairie chicken (SciiFii)

The western prairie chicken (Tympanuchus californianus), also known as the California prairie chicken, is a species of prairie chicken, most closely related to the greater prairie chicken, that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the modern open woodlands, grasslands, shrublands, and scrublands across the western Canada, United States, and Mexico to help boost biodiversity. Adults of both sexes are medium to large chicken-like birds, stocky with round-wings. They have short tails which are typically rounded. Adult males have reddish-orange comb-like feathers over their eyes and dark, elongated head feathers that can be raised or lain along neck. They also possess a circular, un-feathered neck patch which can be inflated while displaying; this, like their comb feathers, is also reddish-orange. As with many other bird species, the adult females have shorter head feathers and also lack the male's yellow comb and orange neck patch. Adults are about 16.9 inches (43 centimeters) long, and weigh between 24.7–42.3 oz (700–1200 grams). The greater prairie chicken has a wingspan range of 27.4-28.5 inches (69.5-72.5 centimeters). Western prairie chickens prefer open prairies, although they can be found in more forested areas. They can tolerate agricultural land mixed with prairie. Their diet consists primarily of seeds and fruit, but during the summer they also eat green plants and insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles. Like its relatives, the western prairie chicken is known for its lekking behavior. The females select the most dominant one or two males in the center of the lek, copulate, and then leave to nest and raise the young in solitary from the male. Occasionally a low-ranking male may act like a female, approach the dominant male and fight him. After mating with the males, female western prairie chickens move a little ways away from the male’s territory to build a nest. She constructs the nest on the ground, and lines it with grass and feathers. A single female lays up to 20 eggs, though a normal clutch contains 10–15 eggs. The conservation status of the western prairie chicken is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the western prairie chicken's wide range and, unlike most other prairie chicken species, its tolerance to many of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii