Prairie Chicken Viewing on the First Full Day of Spring

For more information about this impressive endangered species in Missouri, please click on this MDC Link and MDC Video

Yes, I am one of those early morning people that non-early morning people do not understand.  Give me any excuse to get up and out especially when it concerns nature and donuts!  I got up at 4:30 a.m. and drove 45 minutes to the MDC Office in El Dorado Springs.  After a light breakfast and short briefing and introduction, about 30 of us loaded onto 2 school buses.  We arrived at the prairie at 6:50 about a half hour before sunrise. What better way to spend the first full day of Spring than to see the unique ritual of the state endangered Greater Prairie Chicken at one of the few places they are still found in Missouri - Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie.  It is estimated that there are only about 100 now.  We got to see a dozen males on this day!  I got notice from Pat Miller, Extension Specialist of Vernon County, about an event put on by MDC Discover Nature Program a couple weeks ago and quickly reserved a couple spaces on the bus as space was limited especially since it was at no cost.  I was not successful in getting anyone else to join me but knew once I got there, there would be loads of like-minded people.  I was right!

We all came from all over the state; some as far as St. Louis which is at least four hours away!  We all met at the El Dorado Springs MDC Office, then traveled in two buses to the viewing site.  The booming ground is near a county road so we were able to watch these impressive birds from the buses - windows open, engine off, and one side covered windows so as to not distract the birds with our movements.  The MDC even provided binoculars for those that didn't bring their own.

The Greater Prairie Chicken is a native to Missouri but to help restore and increase populations, birds have been brought in from nearby Kansas.  To see the influence this great bird has had on our country's heritage, click here to see the dance video.

Female and Male Prairie Chicken Display at Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Office in El Dorado Springs, Missouri

MDC Biologist Matt Hill gave us all some interesting information about the Greater Prairie Chicken restoration and monitoring done in Missouri.  Lucky guy…he gets up this early everyday and to watch them in March! 

One side of the bus was covered so our movements cannot be distracting to the wildlife as everyone looked out the right side for a few hours.

The MDC provided enough binoculars for those that didn't bring their own.  Several people were set up with their own wildlife listening headphones, spotting scopes, and cameras with telephoto lens.  

This was the best I could do with my simple Kodak EasyShare C743 with zoom.  

Of course, I could see much better with the binoculars!  12 males were running around and jumping up and down and challenging one another for quite a show!  We waited for the females to come out and they never did so we returned to the MDC Office about 9 a.m.