småpræriejerpe Tympanuchus pallidicinctus

Plump chickenlike bird found in grasslands. Body and wings entirely barred brown with paler buffy throat. In spring, males gather at display site and perform dance to attract females: look for them hunched over with ear-like feathers protruding from atop head and darker reddish-orange skin exposed on the neck. Inconspicuous and difficult to find away from display sites. Very similar to Greater Prairie-Chicken but no range overlap. Averages slightly paler and smaller than Greater.