Illustration of prairie chicken
prairie chicken
noun
: a grouse (Tympanuchus cupido) chiefly of the tallgrass prairies of the central U.S. with the male having yellowish-orange neck sacs which are inflated during courtship displays
also
: a closely related smaller grouse (T. pallidicinctus) having reddish neck sacs
Examples of prairie chicken in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The lesser prairie chicken, which was listed in 2023, is similarly a thorn in the side of many Republicans lawmakers.
—
Benji Jones, Vox, 10 Feb. 2025
As winter begins to close, nature lovers head to the grasslands around Wray to see the courtship dance of the greater prairie chickens and hear their loud calls.
—Mindy Sink, The Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2024
There may have been hats or fudge, but there wasn’t always, say, a patch with an image of the most enormous booming prairie chicken.
—Paul Nicolaus, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Jan. 2024
Lesser prairie chickens are a ground-nesting species – found in parts of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas – that is listed under the Endangered Species Act.
—Discover Magazine, 26 Dec. 2023
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Benji Jones, Vox, 10 Feb. 2025
As winter begins to close, nature lovers head to the grasslands around Wray to see the courtship dance of the greater prairie chickens and hear their loud calls.
—Mindy Sink, The Denver Post, 7 Feb. 2024
There may have been hats or fudge, but there wasn’t always, say, a patch with an image of the most enormous booming prairie chicken.
—Paul Nicolaus, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Jan. 2024
Lesser prairie chickens are a ground-nesting species – found in parts of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas – that is listed under the Endangered Species Act.
—Discover Magazine, 26 Dec. 2023
See All Example Sentences for prairie chicken
Cite this Entry
“Prairie chicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prairie%20chicken. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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