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Our precious flock
Once a stable part of prairie culture, this colorful yet well-camouflaged grouse is possibly the most endangered bird in North America (depending on the state of the Ivory-billied Woodpecker.) At the start of the 20th century they numbered around a million strong spread over 6 million acres of Gulf coastal prairie.The roosters flashy show of stomping was a herald of the Spring and is mimicked in many Native American dances. Annual releases of captive-bred birds now make up and support the small population that exists on two small swatches of remnant costal prairie habitat. The Attwater's Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge is open to the public. In addition to losing costal prairie habitat, this valuable bird id vulnerable to numerous predators, including hawks, owls, skunks, and snakes. The return of this species is dependant upon creating and maintaining suitable habitat and upon releasing captive-bred chicks to these protected lands.

As a captive breeding partner in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-managed Recovery Program we continually house about 70 birds and breed over 40 birds each year.

Their way of life
In the spring months, the hens "build" their nest by making a cryptic depression in the grass. They will lay about 10 - 12 eggs at a rate of about one a day; once all are laid they begin to incubate their clutch. Despite their captive setting, our roosters will display and defend their territory vigorously.

In addition to the natural vegetation and the insects they find in their enclosure, keepers offer the adult birds a commercially blended food that is specifically designed for the Attwater's. Chicks also eat commercially processed food that we supplement with greens and insects. Recent studies, in cooperation with the nutritionists at the Fort Worth Zoo, have led to the creation of specialized diets with altered nutrient levels, to meet the bird's various dietary needs during the breeding season and during chick growth and development.