A captive breeding program was developed for the Attwater’s Prairie Chicken in 1992 in hopes to help boost the amount of prairie chickens in the wild. The Houston Zoo developed a holding and breeding area on grounds called “Boomtown” for the Attwater’s Prairie Chickens, which served as their home until 2006. Due to further development of the Zoo, it was determined that the prairie chickens needed a more natural, quieter, and more secluded home. Through a partnership with NASA’s Johnson Space Center, the Houston Zoo was able to build large holding pens specifically designed for breeding.
The Attwater’s mating ritual consists of courtship display, called booming, that takes place in a lek, or booming ground. The males inflate the bright orange air sacs on their necks, extend their pinnae and tail feathers upward, and then drop their heads creating an “oo-la-woo” sound as they rapidly stomp their feet. Courtship begins in January and mating occurs between from February through mid-May.
Attwater Prairie Chicken post #2 was on 3/2/2010
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