Get a Bird’s Eye View of Endangered Attwater’s Prairie Chickens at NASA’s Johnson Space Center!
You won’t see the Attwater’s prairie chicken here on zoo grounds, but you can see them now on a new exclusive web cam! Since 1995, the Houston Zoo has raised and released over 1100 Attwater’s prairie chickens into the wild. This number continues to grow, as an additional 127 Attwater’s prairie chickens have been released so far this year. As just one of many efforts the Zoo is involved in to save wildlife, our zoo keepers breed these animals behind the scenes and release them into the wild to ensure Attwater’s prairie chicken populations will recover and thrive for years to come.
Native to Texas, this small, brown bird calls the coastal prairie grasslands home. This species is best known for “booming” – a dance done by males to attract females during mating season in which they stomp their feet and fill the orange air sacs on the sides of their neck, creating a sound that can be heard up to half a mile away! With historic populations numbering close to 1,000,000 birds, it is estimated that less than 100 of these birds are left in the wild. The Houston Zoo manages the captive breeding program for the Attwater’s prairie chicken. We have breeding facilities both behind the scenes at the Zoo and at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. When the birds hatch and grow large enough, they are slowly introduced and then released into the wild, where they will support the already existing populations.
Last year, the Attwater’s prairie chickens released into the wild faced challenges similar to those encountered by fellow Texans as the release site in Goliad County took a direct hit from Hurricane Harvey. The eye of the storm passed directly over or within a few miles of the release site, and the lingering rains flooded most of the Attwater’s historic range. These amazing birds face many threats once they are in the wild, but robust captive breeding programs around the state serve as a safety net, giving this species a fighting chance.
It is officially hatching season for our Attwater’s prairie chickens, and over 500 eggs are currently being incubated to raise and release back into the wild thanks to the amazing bird department here at the Zoo! Post Harvey, the habitat at NASA has rebounded and is in the best condition anyone has seen in a long time. It would seem as though things are looking up for our feathered friends this year, thanks to a dedicated network of organizations and zoo goers like you that are helping to save wildlife each time you visit us here at the Zoo. Don’t forget to check out these magnificent birds at their NASA habitat via our new Attwater’s prairie chicken webcam, and stay tuned for more updates!
For the 11th annual Wildlife Conservation Gala at the Houston Zoo, we’re shining a spotlight on the species and habitats of the Lone Star State! We’ll come together as Texans to raise the funds our Zoo needs to keep saving Texas wildlife like the Attwater’s prairie chicken.
