Prairie chickens can be found in Kansas, South Dakota, and Nebraska, as well as a few in Illinois. During Laura's childhood there used to be millions of prairie chickens. Today they are an endangered species and can be counted only in the hundreds.
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Adult Prairie chickens (Tympanuchus cupido) weigh around 2-3
pounds. They grow to be 16-18 inches long. They fly very well
but spend a lot of time on the ground feeding. They eat insects like
grasshoppers, ants, and leafhoppers. They only live for 2 to 3 years. Prairie chickens can be found in Kansas, South Dakota, and Nebraska, as well as a few in Illinois. During Laura's childhood there used to be millions of prairie chickens. Today they are an endangered species and can be counted only in the hundreds. |
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Laura recalled in On the Banks of Plum Creek that the children playing outside the school sounded like a flock of prairie chickens! Click here to hear prairie chickens for yourself.
