Photo: Iowa DNR
(Kellerton, Iowa) -- The Kellerton Wildlife Management Area in southern Iowa's Ringgold County will host its annual Prairie Chicken Day Saturday, April 1st. This is the time of hear when prairie chickens put on a show, sparring, and fighting with to males to impress females. The birds are known for their rhythmic and haunting cooing which begins as the night sky fades and sunrise begins. People can see the chickens from a viewing platform, but binoculars are recommended. It's the only site in Iowa where the prairie chickens can be seen.
The prairie chickens are most active around sunrise.
“Some mornings you can hear them and some you can’t. They are out there every day, but are less active if it’s raining or really cloudy,” DNR Wildlife Specialist Stephanie Shepherd said.
The prairie chicken population at Kellerton has benefited from a collaboration between the states of Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska, and the Nature Conservancy, Blank Park Zoo and the Ringgold County Conservation Board. The collaboration extended to area producers who help to manage 30 percent of the grasslands through grazing.
“There has been a lot of collaboration to improve the landscape across the state line to recreate 160,000 acres of rolling hills of grass with few trees,” Shepherd said. “This partnership benefits not only the prairie chicken, but other grassland species as well.”
This year, in addition to prairie-chicken viewing, the Iowa Ornithologist's Union will lead a birding field trip, starting at 8 a.m. All birding experience levels are welcome and the plan will be to bird around Kellerton, Ringgold and Mount Ayr wildlife areas. Target birds include northern bobwhite, red-shouldered hawk, loggerhead shrike and northern mockingbird. Participants can meet field trip leaders at the prairie chicken viewing platform area at 8 a.m. and can direct any questions to Dennis Thompson at cndthomps@gmail.com.