[Length 15 in. Wingspan 25 in.]

Greater Prairie-Chickens once bred throughout the vast prairies of North America. Habitat loss has drastically reduced their populations, and one must seek them out at the few remaining grassland areas. An isolated population exists in central-eastern Texas known as "Attwater's" Greater Prairie-Chicken. There are less than 50 of these birds in the wild today. Captive breeding and re-introduction programs have been implemented to save the population, but progress has been very slow. This male "Attwater's" Greater Prairie Chicken was photographed just before dawn on a farm road west of Aransas NWR, Texas. Photo taken through a car windshield (and illuminated mostly by the car's headlights!) with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Ektachrome 200 film. (Date: December 1979)

[Length 17 in. Wingspan 28 in.]

Greater Prairie-Chickens once bred throughout the vast prairies of North America. Habitat loss has drastically reduced their populations, and one must seek them out at the few remaining grassland areas. It is worth the effort to do so during the early spring, for the courting ritual of the males is spectacular, to say the least. Each male defends a territory into which he hopes to lure a female by fluffing his feathers, cocking his tale, stomping his feet, and singing a loud thrumming song that sounds like air blown across the top of a soda bottle. This male "Northern" Greater Prairie-Chicken was photographed at the Nature Conservancy's Bluestem Prairie unit in western Minnesota. Photo taken with a 180 mm f2.8 EDAF Nikkor lens on Kodachrome 200 film. (Date: May 1992)

[Length 16 in. Wingspan 25 in.]

This displaying male Lesser Prairie-Chicken was photographed at the West Lek Blind, Cimarron National Grasslands, Kansas. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S VR f2.8 lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: May 7, 2006)

[Length 16 in. Wingspan 25 in.]

This male Lesser Prairie-Chicken was photographed at the West Lek Blind, Cimarron National Grasslands, Kansas. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S VR f2.8 lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D200 camera. (Date: May 7, 2006)

[Length 20 in. Wingspan 26 in.]

Sooty Grouse (formerly known as Blue Grouse) are residents of the mountains and foothills of the western US and Canada. This "Southern Rockies" Sooty Grouse was photographed at Yovimpa Point in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah after it emerged from underneath one of the cars in the parking lot! Photo taken with a 300mm f4.5 Nikkor ED lens on Kodachrome 64 film. (Date: August 1980)

[Length 15.5 in. Wingspan 24 in.]

This Red Grouse was photographed at Lochindorb, Scotland, Great Britain. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S f4 lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D100 camera. (Date: June 20, 2004)

[Length 15.5 in. Wingspan 24 in.]

This Red Grouse was photographed at Lochindorb, Scotland, Great Britain. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S f4 lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D100 camera. (Date: June 19, 2004)

[Length 15.5 in. Wingspan 24 in.]

These Red Grouse fledglings were photographed at Lochindorb, Scotland, Great Britain. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm EDAF-S f4 lens (EFL=450mm) on a Nikon D100 camera. (Date: June 20, 2004)