On August 6th, WSO held an informational program on Greater Prairie-Chickens. Executive Director, Jennifer Lazewski, hosted the program. She was joined by Wisconsin's Green Fire members and wildlife experts Tom Hauge, Lowell Suring, and Jim Keir.
Watch the recording of the video here.
A species of greatest conservation need, Greater Prairie-chickens are best known for their Spring mating rituals, when males flock to traditional lek sites to compete for mates. Their spectacular booming and dancing competitions have won them lifelong fans, many of whom are passionate about the conservation of these charismatic birds and their habitat.
A bird of wide-open grasslands, Greater Prairie-chickens are an umbrella species whose preservation protects the habitat of other endangered bird species. In Wisconsin, the largest stronghold of this state-threatened bird is the Buena Vista Wildlife Area and its surrounding lands. Unfortunately, changing land use and loss of habitat have made growing the population there difficult. The newest challenge to their viability is the proposed construction of a solar farm on land adjacent to Buena Vista and prime Greater Prairie-chicken territory.
Dancing Greater Prairie-chickens photo by Grayson Smith, courtesy of the US Fish & Wildlife Service
