(Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus)These open grasslands in the Buena Vista Marsh, Portage County, were one of the last remaining strongholds of the Greater Prairie Chicken in Wisconsin. Once abun?dant in the state, this impressive bird nearly disappeared when its grassland habitat was converted to croplands, pastures and forests. Many committed individuals and organizations worked to preserve the "chicken," purchasing nearly 15,000 acres of grasslands since 1954. Thanks to these conservation efforts, chickens can be observed gathering here on their territorial "booming grounds" each April. Hoping to attract a mate, the male birds frantically stomp their feet and spread their tails while inflating bright orange neck sacs and calling out with a low, mournful, booming sound that can be heard for great distances. After breeding, the birds dis?perse during the summer and early fall, gathering again in large flocks for the winter. An intensive grassland management and research program works to ensure the future of this important symbol of the prairie.
Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.
|Series||This marker is part of the Wisconsin: Wisconsin Historical Society series|
|Placed By||The Wisconsin Historical Society|
|Marker Condition||No reports yet|
|Date Added||Sunday, September 21st, 2014 at 8:38pm PDT -07:00|
|UTM (WGS84 Datum)||16T E 289236 N 4912707|
|Decimal Degrees||44.33703333, -89.64381667|
|Degrees and Decimal Minutes||N 44° 20.222', W 89° 38.629'|
|Degrees, Minutes and Seconds||44° 20' 13.32" N, 89° 38' 37.74" W|
|Driving Directions||Google Maps|
|Closest Postal Address||At or near 701-707 County Hwy W, Bancroft WI 54921, US|
|Alternative Maps||Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap|