FWS Focus

Overview

The lesser prairie-chicken is a species of prairie grouse endemic to the southern and central high plains of the United States, commonly recognized for its feathered tarsi (legs), stout build, ground-dwelling habit, and lek mating behavior. The LEPC is closely related and generally similar in life history strategy, although not identical in every aspect of behavior and life history, to other species of North American prairie grouse (e.g., GRPC, Attwater’s prairie-chicken, sharp-tailed grouse, greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), and Gunnison’s sage-grouse (C. minimus)). Plumage of the LEPC is characterized by a cryptic pattern of alternating brown and buff-colored barring and is similar in appearance, although somewhat lighter in color, to the GRPC. Males have long tufts of feathers on the sides of the neck, termed pinnae, which are erected during courtship displays. Pinnae are smaller and less prominent in females. Males also display brilliant yellow supraorbital eyecombs and dull reddish esophageal air sacs during courtship displays (Copelin 1963, p. 12; Sutton 1977, entire; Johnsgard 1983, p. 318). Lesser Prairie-Chickens are dimorphic in size, with the females being smaller than the males. Adult LEPC body length varies from 38 to 41 centimeters (cm) (15 to 16 inches [in]) (Johnsgard 1973, p. 275; Johnsgard 1983, p. 318), and adult body mass varies from 618 to 897 grams (g) (1.4 to 2.0 pounds [lbs]) for males and 517 to 772 g (1.1 to 1.7 lbs) for females (Haukos et al. 1989, pp. 271; Giesen 1998, p. 14).

Scientific Name

Tympanuchus pallidicinctus
Common Name
Lesser Prairie-Chicken
Lesser Prairie Chicken
FWS Category
Birds
Kingdom

Location in Taxonomic Tree

Identification Numbers

TSN:

Geography

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Timeline

Explore the information available for this taxon's timeline. You can select an event on the timeline to view more information, or cycle through the content available in the carousel below.

48 Items

Listing

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NEPA - EA

Permit

Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances

Notice

4d

Listing

4d

Notice

Listing

4d

Regulation

Listing

Listing

Listing

Listing

4d

4d

Notice

Listing

Listing

4d

Technical Correction

Listing

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Listing

Jul 8, 1997

Jul 8, 1997 Listing (Substantial)
90-Day Finding for a Petition To List the Lesser Prairie-Chicken as Threatened
  • Publication type: 90 day petition finding
Item 1

Listing

Jun 9, 1998

Jun 9, 1998 Listing (Warranted But Precluded)
12-Month Finding for a Petition To List the Lesser Prairie-Chicken as Threatened and Designate Criti…
  • Publication type: 12m petition finding
Item 2

Listing

Oct 25, 1999

Oct 25, 1999 Listing (Warranted But Precluded: Resubmitted)
Review of Plant and Animal Taxa That Are Candidates or Proposed for Listing as Endangered or Threate…
  • Publication type: 12m petition finding
Item 3

Listing

Oct 25, 1999

Oct 25, 1999 Listing
Review of Plant and Animal Taxa That Are Candidates or Proposed for Listing as Endangered or Threate…
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 4

Listing

Jan 8, 2001

Jan 8, 2001 Listing (Warranted But Precluded: Resubmitted)
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Annual Notice of Findings on Recycled Petitions
  • Publication type: 12m petition finding
Item 5

Listing

Oct 30, 2001

Oct 30, 2001 Listing
ETWP; Review of Plant and Animal Species That Are Candidates or Proposed for Listing as Endangered o…
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 6

Listing

Jun 13, 2002

Jun 13, 2002 Listing
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Review of Species That Are Candidates or Proposed for…
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 7

Listing

May 4, 2004

May 4, 2004 Listing (Warranted But Precluded: Resubmitted)
Review of Species That Are Candidates or Proposed for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual No…
  • Publication type: 12m petition finding
Item 8

Listing

May 4, 2004

May 4, 2004 Listing
Review of Species That Are Candidates or Proposed for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual No…
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 9

Listing

May 11, 2005

May 11, 2005 Listing
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Review of Native Species That Are Candidates or Pro…
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 10

Listing

Sep 12, 2006

Sep 12, 2006 Listing (Warranted But Precluded: Resubmitted)
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates or Proposed for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; An…
  • Publication type: 12m petition finding
Item 11

Listing

Sep 12, 2006

Sep 12, 2006 Listing
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates or Proposed for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; An…
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 12

Listing

Dec 6, 2007

Dec 6, 2007 Listing (Warranted But Precluded: Resubmitted)
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Notic…
  • Publication type: 12m petition finding
Item 13

Listing

Dec 6, 2007

Dec 6, 2007 Listing
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Notic…
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 14

Listing

Dec 10, 2008

Dec 10, 2008 Listing (Warranted But Precluded: Resubmitted)
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Notic…
  • Publication type: 12m petition finding
Item 15

Listing

Dec 10, 2008

Dec 10, 2008 Listing
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Notic…
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 16

Listing

Nov 9, 2009

Nov 9, 2009 Listing
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Notice…
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 17

Listing

Nov 9, 2009

Nov 9, 2009 Listing (Warranted But Precluded: Resubmitted)
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Notice…
  • Publication type: 12m petition finding
Item 18

Listing

Nov 10, 2010

Nov 10, 2010 Listing
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Notice…
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 19

Listing

Nov 10, 2010

Nov 10, 2010 Listing (Warranted But Precluded: Resubmitted)
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Notice…
  • Publication type: 12m petition finding
Item 20

Listing

Oct 26, 2011

Oct 26, 2011 Listing
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Notice…
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 21

Listing

Oct 26, 2011

Oct 26, 2011 Listing (Warranted But Precluded: Resubmitted)
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Notice…
  • Publication type: 12m petition finding
Item 22

Listing

Nov 21, 2012

Nov 21, 2012 Listing
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Notice…
  • Publication type: CNOR
Item 23

Listing

Nov 21, 2012

Nov 21, 2012 Listing (Warranted But Precluded: Resubmitted)
Review of Native Species That Are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened; Annual Notice…
  • Publication type: 12m petition finding
Item 24

Listing

Dec 11, 2012

Dec 11, 2012 Listing (Threatened)
Listing the Lesser Prairie-Chicken as a Threatened Species
  • Publication type: Proposed
Item 25

NEPA - EA

Mar 4, 2013

Mar 4, 2013 NEPA - EA
Final Candidate Conservation Agreement With Assurances, Final Environmental Assessment, and Finding…
  • Publication type: Final
Item 26

Permit

Mar 4, 2013

Mar 4, 2013 Permit (Issued)
Final Candidate Conservation Agreement With Assurances, Final Environmental Assessment, and Finding…
  • Publication type: SHA, HCP, CCAA
Item 27

Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances

Mar 4, 2013

Mar 4, 2013 Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (Document Availability (non-FR))
Final Candidate Conservation Agreement With Assurances, Final Environmental Assessment, and Finding…
  • Publication type: Draft
Item 28

Notice

May 6, 2013

May 6, 2013 Notice
Listing the Lesser Prairie-Chicken as a Threatened Species With a Special Rule
  • Publication type: Comment Period Reopening
Item 29

4d

May 6, 2013

May 6, 2013 4d
Listing the Lesser Prairie-Chicken as a Threatened Species With a Special Rule
  • Publication type: Proposed
Item 30

Listing

Jul 9, 2013

Jul 9, 2013 Listing
6-Month Extension of Final Determination for the Proposed Listing of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken as a…
  • Publication type: 6 month extension
Item 31

4d

Dec 11, 2013

Dec 11, 2013 4d
Listing the Lesser Prairie-Chicken as a Threatened Species With a Special Rule
  • Publication type: Proposed
Item 32

Notice

Jan 29, 2014

Jan 29, 2014 Notice
Listing the Lesser Prairie-Chicken as a Threatened Species With a Special Rule
  • Publication type: Comment Period Reopening
Item 33

Listing

Apr 10, 2014

Apr 10, 2014 Listing (Threatened)
Determination of Threatened Status for the Lesser Prairie-Chicken; Final Rule
  • Publication type: Final
Item 34

4d

Apr 10, 2014

Apr 10, 2014 4d
Special Rule for the Lesser Prairie-Chicken; Final Rule
  • Publication type: Final
Item 35

Regulation

Jul 20, 2016

Jul 20, 2016 Regulation
Lesser Prairie-Chicken Removed From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
  • Publication type: Withdrawal
Item 36

Listing

Nov 30, 2016

Nov 30, 2016 Listing (Substantial)
90-Day Findings on Three Petitions; Notice of petition findings and initiation of status reviews.
  • Publication type: 90 day petition finding
Item 37

Listing

Jun 1, 2021

Jun 1, 2021 Listing (Warranted)
Endangered and Threatened Species: Lesser Prairie-Chicken; Threatened Status with Section 4(d) Rule…
  • Publication type: 12m petition finding
Item 38

Listing

Jun 1, 2021

Jun 1, 2021 Listing (Endangered)
Endangered and Threatened Species: Lesser Prairie-Chicken; Threatened Status with Section 4(d) Rule…
  • Publication type: Proposed
Item 39

Listing

Jun 1, 2021

Jun 1, 2021 Listing (Threatened)
Endangered and Threatened Species: Lesser Prairie-Chicken; Threatened Status with Section 4(d) Rule…
  • Publication type: Proposed
Item 40

4d

Jun 1, 2021

Jun 1, 2021 4d
Endangered and Threatened Species: Lesser Prairie-Chicken; Threatened Status with Section 4(d) Rule…
  • Publication type: Proposed
Item 41

4d

Jun 1, 2021

Jun 1, 2021 4d
Endangered and Threatened Species: Lesser Prairie-Chicken; Threatened Status with Section 4(d) Rule…
  • Publication type: Proposed
Item 42

Notice

Jul 30, 2021

Jul 30, 2021 Notice
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Lesser Prairie-Chicken; Threatened Status With Sectio…
  • Publication type: Comment Period Extension
Item 43

Listing

Nov 25, 2022

Nov 25, 2022 Listing (Threatened)
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Lesser Prairie-Chicken; Threatened Status With Sectio…
  • Publication type: Final
Item 44

Listing

Nov 25, 2022

Nov 25, 2022 Listing (Endangered)
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Lesser Prairie-Chicken; Threatened Status With Sectio…
  • Publication type: Final
Item 45

4d

Nov 25, 2022

Nov 25, 2022 4d
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Lesser Prairie-Chicken; Threatened Status With Sectio…
  • Publication type: Final
Item 46

Technical Correction

Dec 2, 2022

Dec 2, 2022 Technical Correction
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Lesser Prairie-Chicken; Threatened Status With Sectio…
  • Publication type: Direct Final
Item 47

Listing

Jan 24, 2023

Jan 24, 2023 Listing
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Lesser Prairie-Chicken; Threatened Status With Sectio…
  • Publication type: Deferred Date
Item 48