prairie Archives

A wild grouse chase — the search for greater and lesser prairie-chickens

May 10, 2022 by John L. Dengler

KANSAS is home to two main species of prairie-chickens, lesser prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) and greater prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido), and some hybrids thrown in. The differences are subtle but easy to spot once you know what to look for. Recently, I accompanied my photography buddy and grouse expert, Noppadol Paothong, on a trip to Kansas to research lek locations (also known as booming grounds) for his future photography workshops.

The first stop was in western Kansas, where we met up with Stacy Hoeme. Stacy, a generous, easy-going, positive-attitude rancher, is an example of the modern cutting-edge farmer/rancher who has recognized the benefits of a strong land ethic. Stacy and his son Chasten approach land management with strategies that exceed those suggested by state and federal conservation programs. Their use of limited tillage and crop rotation has resulted in their pastures supporting some of the lesser prairie-chicken’s largest known populations and densities. For their efforts, the Hoemes were awarded the prestigious Leopold Award in 2018.

A male lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) takes flight from a lek on the Hoeme Family Farm and Ranch in Gove County, Kansas. Prairie chickens return to the same lek year after year to mate. Males attempt to entice female lesser prairie-chickens with a showy mating display on a lek During courtship on a lek, males inflate their red esophageal air sacs and hold erect pinnae on each side of the neck. They rapidly stomp their feet making a drumming-like sound. The booming call of lesser-prairie chickens, amplified by the air sacs, can be heard as far as a mile away. Lesser prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on. As of early 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has placed a status of proposed threatened or proposed endangered species. A ruling is expected in the summer of 2022. Lesser prairie-chickens are found in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas with about half of the current population living in western Kansas. — A male lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) takes flight from a lek on the Hoeme Ranch in Gove County, Kansas. Prairie chickens return to the same lek year after year to mate. The ranch’s landscape is spectacular with the sedimentary limestone Niobrara Chalk outcroppings of rock similar to the nearby Monument Rocks, a National Landmark.

Storm clouds begin to obscure a colorful sunset on the Home Family Farm and Ranch near Healy, Kansas. EDITORS NOTE: Image is a panorama composite of multiple overlapping images. — *Storm clouds begin to obscure a colorful sunset on the Home Family Farm and Ranch near Healy, Kansas.*

The evening sky on the first night with its encroaching ominous skies, foretold the upcoming dramatic storms that would come the following day. Much of the next day was a literal washout. While the rain put a damper on shooting, ranchers like Stacy welcomed the much-needed rain. Until this rain, the soil there had been seriously parched. I witnessed the effects of the drought a few weeks earlier when I drove back from Wyoming and my Columbian sharp-tailed grouse trip. Highway traffic along I-70 had to significantly drop speed due to the blowing dust and soil that eveloped the highway like a thick fog. It reminded me of the dust bowl photos from the 1930s.

A male lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) races across a lek to protect his spot from other males on the Hoeme Family Farm and Ranch Ranch in Gove County, Kansas. Prairie chickens return to the same lek year after year to mate. Males attempt to entice female lesser prairie-chickens with a showy mating display on a lek During courtship on a lek, males inflate their red esophageal air sacs and hold erect pinnae on each side of the neck. They rapidly stomp their feet making a drumming-like sound. The booming call of lesser-prairie chickens, amplified by the air sacs, can be heard as far as a mile away. Lesser prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on. As of early 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has placed a status of proposed threatened or proposed endangered species. A ruling is expected in the summer of 2022. Lesser prairie-chickens are found in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas with about half of the current population living in western Kansas. — *A male lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) races across a lek to protect his spot from other males.*

Like other lekking birds (including greater sage-grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, and prairie chickens), lesser prairie chickens gather at spots known as leks (aka booming ground) to mate. Males perform a mating dance to entice females to mate. As part of that ritual, males also will fight for the best position on the lek. Males will fiercely protect their position. In the above photo, a lesser prairie chicken rushes to chase an intruding lesser prairie chicken out of its space. The photo also shows one of the ways to identify the difference between the lesser prairie chicken and the greater prairie-chicken. Note the size of the eye comb. Later, in this blog posting, you will see that the eye comb of the greater prairie chicken is smaller. Another difference is that the air sack of the lesser prairie chicken is redder, with the greater prairie-chicken being more orange-like.

A male lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) flutter jumps in an attempt to attract the attention of a female on a lek located on the Hoeme Family Farm and Ranch Ranch in Gove County, Kansas. Prairie chickens return to the same lek year after year to mate. Males attempt to entice female lesser prairie-chickens with a showy mating display on a lek During courtship on a lek, males inflate their red esophageal air sacs and hold erect pinnae on each side of the neck. They rapidly stomp their feet making a drumming-like sound. The booming call of lesser-prairie chickens, amplified by the air sacs, can be heard as far as a mile away. Lesser prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on. As of early 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has placed a status of proposed threatened or proposed endangered species. A ruling is expected in the summer of 2022. Lesser prairie-chickens are found in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas with about half of the current population living in western Kansas. — *A male lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) flutter jumps in an attempt to attract the attention of a female.*

The uplifting flute-like vocalization of Western Meadowlark is a common sound to hear on the prairies of western and central Kansas. A colorful member of the blackbird family, the Western Meadowlark uses a feeding method that relies on its strong muscles that open its bill. They can insert their bill into soil, bark, etc., and then force it open to make a larger hole. This gives them an advantage over other birds to reach insects that most other birds can’t get to. This Western Meadowlark was photographed on the Hoeme Family Farm and Ranch Ranch in Gove County, Kansas. — *Western meadowlarks are a common sight and sound on the prairie*

One of my favorite things about hanging out on the prairie is listening to the uplifting flute-like vocalization of meadowlarks. In this case, it was a western meadowlark that I was hearing. A colorful member of the blackbird family, the western meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) uses a feeding method that relies on strong muscles that open its bill very wide. They can insert their bill into soil, bark, etc., and then force their bill open to making a larger hole. This ability gives them an advantage over other birds to reach insects that most other birds can’t.

*A burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), lands next to another burrowing owl at the opening to an underground burrow.*

Another bonus from the trip to the Hoeme Ranch was the opportunity to observe burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia). In the above photo, a burrowing owl lands next to another burrowing owl at the opening of an underground burrow. Burrowing owls live in underground tunnels, often that they have taken over from prairie dogs, tortoises, and ground squirrels. While most owls are active at night, borrowing owls are active during the day, doing most of their hunting in the early morning or early evening. When threatened by a predator, the burrowing owl will retreat to the borrow and produce hissing and rattling sounds similar to that of a rattlesnake. Burrowing owls are often seen with just their eyes poking above the burrow hole. Control programs to limit or eradicate prairie dogs and ground squirrels have led to a sharp decline of burrowing owls who depend on the burrows dug by prairie doge and ground squirrels.

Male greater prairie-chickens boom and dance to impress the girls

From western Kansas, we headed east to a greater prairie-chicken lek near Tipton in north-central Kansas. Before we arrived, a friend of Noppadol’s was able to triangulate a booming ground location using sound monitoring equipment, so we had a good idea of where to look.

Two male greater prairie-chickens perform their mating display for a female prairie-chicken on a lek in Mitchell County, Kansas. The greater prairie-chicken or pinnated grouse (Tympanuchus cupido) is known for its mating ritual by males called booming. In the spring, males gather on leks, also known as booming grounds, in which they defend small areas on the lek to perform their mating displays for visiting females. This display includes extending their orange eye combs, lowering the head, raising two tufts of feathers on the neck, and pointing the tail slightly forward while stamping their feet rapidly. They also expand their bright orange air sac to produce a booming-like sound that can be heard up to a mile away. In addition, males will vigorously defend their territory on the lek by chasing, leaping in the air, and dramatic fighting. Greater prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on. — *I don’t think she is impressed. Talk about a cold shoulder!*

While rain and a late season visit to the lesser prairie-chicken lek didn’t afford much activity, there was plenty of action at the greater prairie-chicken lek, notably when a female showed up. It was somewhat comical to see the female strut across the various territories of the males on the lek. It looked like she was shopping for a boyfriend. During her ‘shopping trip,’ male greater prairie-chickens would perform their mating dance. This display includes extending their orange eye combs, lowering the head, raising two tufts of feathers on the neck, and pointing the tail slightly forward while stamping their feet rapidly. They also expand their bright orange air sac. In the end, though, she ignored all the efforts of the males with a cold shoulder. Guess she didn’t care for what she saw.

The booming-like sound emitted from the orange air sac of the male greater prairie-chicken can be heard up to a mile away. The bird inflates the sack during its courtship ritual when wooing females. This male greater prairie-chicken was photographed on a lek in Mitchell County, Kansas. The greater prairie-chicken or pinnated grouse (Tympanuchus cupido) is known for its mating ritual by males called booming. In the spring, males gather on leks, also known as booming grounds, in which they defend small areas on the lek to perform their mating displays for visiting females. This display includes extending their orange eye combs, lowering the head, raising two tufts of feathers on the neck, and pointing the tail slightly forward while stamping their feet rapidly. In addition, males will vigorously defend their territory on the lek by chasing, leaping in the air, and dramatic fighting. Greater prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on. — The booming-like sound emitted from the orange air sac of the male greater prairie-chicken during their mating dance display can be heard up to a mile away. The bird inflates the sack during its courtship ritual when wooing females. Also, note the smaller eye comb compared to the lesser prairie chicken in the photos earlier in this blog post.

Battling to protect lek position

Two male greater prairie-chickens faceoff on a lek in Mitchell County, Kansas. The greater prairie-chicken or pinnated grouse (Tympanuchus cupido) is known for its mating ritual by males called booming. In the spring, males gather on leks, also known as booming grounds, in which they defend small areas on the lek to perform their mating displays for visiting females. This display includes extending their orange eye combs, lowering the head, raising two tufts of feathers on the neck, and pointing the tail slightly forward while stamping their feet rapidly. They also expand their bright orange air sac to produce a booming-like sound that can be heard up to a mile away. In addition, males will vigorously defend their territory on the lek by chasing, leaping in the air, and dramatic fighting. Greater prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on.

Staredown face-offs are the first stage of the battle to protect or overtake a position on the lek. It is always interesting to see who makes the first move. When one does, all hell erupts with some serious biting and pulling of feathers occurring. Feathers fly everywhere, much like in an animated cartoon.

Two male greater prairie-chickens fight on a lek in Mitchell County, Kansas. The greater prairie-chicken or pinnated grouse (Tympanuchus cupido) is known for its mating ritual by males called booming. In the spring, males gather on leks, also known as booming grounds, in which they defend small areas on the lek to perform their mating displays for visiting females. This display includes extending their orange eye combs, lowering the head, raising two tufts of feathers on the neck, and pointing the tail slightly forward while stamping their feet rapidly. They also expand their bright orange air sac to produce a booming-like sound that can be heard up to a mile away. In addition, males will vigorously defend their territory on the lek by chasing, leaping in the air, and dramatic fighting. Greater prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on.

Two male greater prairie-chickens pause during fighting on a lek in Mitchell County, Kansas. The prairie-chickens will bite, and pull at the other's feathers during the battle for their position on the lek. The greater prairie-chicken or pinnated grouse (Tympanuchus cupido) is known for its mating ritual by males called booming. In the spring, males gather on leks, also known as booming grounds, in which they defend small areas on the lek to perform their mating displays for visiting females. This display includes extending their orange eye combs, lowering the head, raising two tufts of feathers on the neck, and pointing the tail slightly forward while stamping their feet rapidly. They also expand their bright orange air sac to produce a booming-like sound that can be heard up to a mile away. In addition, males will vigorously defend their territory on the lek by chasing, leaping in the air, and dramatic fighting. Greater prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on. — *Feathers floating in the air as a result of the fighting.*

While these battles are dramatic, there are more significant dangers to greater prairie-chickens and lesser prairie-chickens. All prairie-chickens are threatened by climate change (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on.

PHOTO GALLERY of all my greater prairie-chicken photos

PHOTO GALLERY of all my lesser prairie-chicken photos

PHOTO GALLERY of all my burrowing owl photos

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A look back: Rocky start to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Flint Hills

July 7, 2012 by John L. Dengler

The upcoming official opening of the new visitor center at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve reminds me of the first time I visited the preserve. I still recall back to 1997 driving to a new national park in the Kansas Flint Hills called the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, wondering what the heck it was and what I would find there. As I approached the nearby sleepy town of Cottonwood Falls I was greeted by this sign voicing opposition to the formation of the preserve. I didn’t have a clue what the controversy was about when I first saw it. A new national park seemed like a good idea to me. While I didn’t know it at the time, less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of that remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas.

Initially, the Flint Hills communities surrounding the proposed park were supportive, but then opposition developed. According to National Park Service document “Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve Legislative History, 1920-1996” most local business owners were supportive but many ranchers had overall concerns about federal involvement and federal land ownership with some ranchers specifically concerned about land being lost by eminent domain. The park proposal became a divisive and heated issue between the two community groups.

In the end, an unique compromise was reached with a public/private partnership between the National Park Service and The Nature Conservancy. Today, the 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem.

A lot has changed since 1997 when I photographed that sign. Now Flint Hills ranchers work with The Nature Conservancy to implement pro-conservation policies like patch burning to protect prairie chickens and other native species. Ranchers have developed agritourism opportunities for tourists to visit their ranches. Local restaurants, lodging and retail establishments have obviously benefited with the increased numbers of tourists.

According to a National Park Service press release, 22,047 visitors in 2010 fueled $1,048,000 in spending at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and in communities near the park. “Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is clean, green fuel for the engine that drives our local economy,” said Park superintendent Wendy Lauritzen.

For me, driving past that sign was the start of a life long fascination and love for the tallgrass prairie and the Flint Hills. It was also a new start for the communities near the park.

ABOVE: This 1997 photograph of a sign just outside Cottonwood Falls on Kansas Highway 177 is an example of the controversy that surrounded the formation of the nearby Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. Initially, the Flint Hills communities surrounding the proposed park were supportive, but then opposition developed. According to National Park Service document "Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve Legislative History, 1920-1996" most local business owners were supportive but many ranchers had overall concerns about federal involvement and federal land ownership with some ranchers specifically concerned about land being lost by eminent domain.

To license image, click image. To see our collection of fine art prints, click here.

Flint Hills Discovery Center – a great place to learn about the tallgrass prairie

June 25, 2012 by John L. Dengler

I am probably the only photographer in the universe to have a photograph displayed under a cow chip.

My photo of a pair of dung beetles rolling a ball of bison dung, taken at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Kansas Flint Hills, is part of an interactive display at the Flint Hills Discovery Center in Manhattan, Kansas. To see the photo, you had to flip the ‘cow chip’ up. Brilliant! I love it. My other photo of bison on the tallgrass prairie was displayed more traditionally as a five foot panorama that is part of the permanent interpretive exhibits at the center. The panorama was impressive, but not as much fun as the cow chip exhibit.

When I attended the grand opening of the center back in April I knew the Flint Hills Discovery Center had licensed two of my photos and was eager to see how they were used. I quickly found the panorama, but I looked and looked for the dung beetle photo. I thought that perhaps they decided to not to use the photo. It wasn’t until I started to read the interpretive exhibits closely that I discovered the photo under the cow chip.

The 35,000-square-foot Flint Hills Discovery Center is worthy of spending time, easily a morning, if you are in the Manhattan area. The $24.5 million facility showcases the science and cultural history of the Flint Hills tallgrass prairie. The tallgrass prairie is one of the world’s most endangered ecosystems with less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remaining in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills. The Flint Hills Discovery Center is a good starting place if you plan to visit the nearby Konza Prairie, managed by The Nature Conservancy, or the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve near Strong City, co-managed by the National Park Service and The Nature Conservancy.

Attractions of the Flint Hills Discovery Center include: an ‘underground forest’ depicting the long roots of prairie plants including the 7-foot roots of bluestem prairie grass; explanations of importance of fire to the Flint Hills tallgrass prairie; and exhibits about the people and cultural history of the Flint Hills. One of my favorite exhibits is the15-minute ‘immersive experience’ film which has special effects including smoke, fog, mist and wind which appear in the theater as the high definition film is shown on a large panoramic screen.

The Flint Hills Discovery Center, owned by the city of Manhattan, was designed by the museum architectural firm Vern Johnson Inc. with interpretive design and planning by Hilferty and Associates. In addition to the permanent interactive exhibits, there is space for temporary exhibits, and areas for community programs and outreach activities.

To license image, click image. To see our collection of fine art prints, click here.

Golden hour at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

December 18, 2011 by John L. Dengler

My October visit to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Flint Hills of Kansas did not disappoint. The prairie was ablaze in the colors of fall and some of the early dawn skies were spectacular displays of clouds and sky that appeared to be on fire; reminiscent of the flames of the nighttime prescribed burning of the prairie I witnessed in April.

These pre-sunrise displays of color are often referred to by photographers as the golden or magic hour. It’s really not an hour per say and the golden hour also refers to the evening sky just after the sun has set. The moment of optimum color can be a fleeting few seconds or it can last for hours. The key is that if the sun is visible on the horizon in the morning, chances are you have missed the best display and if the sun is still on the horizon in the evening, the best is yet to come. The early dawn photos of the Lower Fox Creek School at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve are a prime example.

Anyone who studies the photos of National Geographic photographers will see that many of their outdoor photographs are taken in the very early morning hours and in the fading light of the early evening. National Geographic photographers know this and plan their day accordingly, shooting interiors, traveling, etc. during midday.

Spectacular pre-dawn photos come at a price — sleep. If you’re not hiking to your location in the dark (and by dark, I mean having to use headlamps), chances are you’re going to miss the magic light. If the sun is already above the horizon, you might as well go back to bed. On countless mornings I have had to force myself out of the warmth and comfort of my sleeping bag to head out in the darkness and on countless evenings have had to return to camp to make dinner in the dark. On a few occasions when I was car camping I would have to move the entrance barrier to the campground to exit in those early hours. Neighboring campers would wonder if I even existed as I was never seen.

A lot of photography is about luck, and by luck I don’t mean just being lucky. You need to make your luck. Research is probably the most important secret to a good photograph. Knowing when, where, and why will always increase your luck. It’s like buying a thousand lottery tickets instead of just one. To help make my luck I use several iPhone and computer apps that will show me precisely where and when the sun and moon will rise and set, their position through the day for shadows, where the Milky Way will be, and what approaching cloud cover (or lack of) will be. I’ll even use 3D mapping programs with satellite imaging to give me a feel for what I might see.

If you look at the photos in the slideshow, you’ll notice that many of the images might seem redundant. As a stock image photographer, I need to keep the needs of a designer in mind. For example, there are multiple images of the Lower Fox Creek School silhouetted in the pre-dawn light. No, it’s not a case of I can’t make up my mind which photo I like better, but rather there are multiple images to give designers choices. Would a page design work better with the school on the left, or the right? In addition, I’ve left plenty of space for story or cover text. I’ve also included vertical and horizontal options. These examples of shooting with possible design usage in mind are all things that I looked for when I was a magazine art director/designer and bought usage licenses. Here again, I’m making luck that hopefully will result in a licensing sale.

The tallgrass prairie in the Flint Hills takes on a whole new personality in the fall. Grasses and wildflowers turn brown and red after the first chill of fall and the incessant frantic calling of dickcissels are replaced with the quieter chirps of crickets. It’s like the prairie knows that it is time to rest. The tallgrass prairie simply feels calm and quiet, just like the drowsiness a person feels just before falling to sleep. I’m looking forward to traveling back to the Flint Hills in the weeks ahead to walk the sleeping prairie as it is blanketed in snow.

ABOVE: The Lower Fox Creek Schoolhouse and a lone cottonwood tree are silhouetted against a dramatic fall sunrise at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The 10,894-acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is located in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.

To license image, click image. To see our collection of fine art prints, click here.

A wild grouse chase — the search for greater and lesser prairie-chickens

Male greater prairie-chickens boom and dance to impress the girls

Battling to protect lek position

A look back: Rocky start to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Flint Hills

Flint Hills Discovery Center – a great place to learn about the tallgrass prairie

Golden hour at the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

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