Prairie chicken behavior

Photographer

Skilling, Vincent

Date

• March 29, 1953

Summary

• On March 29, 1953, the Leonard Lebergs of Route 4, Wisconsin Rapids, and residing in the town of Seneca immediately adjacent to highway 13, noticed a male prairie chicken booming on the shoulder of highway 13. This part of the highway has recently been regraded and is now a road of gravel construction. Previous to this time for about two weeks, this same bird had been visiting various neighbors in the area including the Van Romanski's and Harold and Harvey Peterson's residence. As stated before, on March 29 the bird started booming on highway 13 and continued to boom from early morning until dark each day of the week until April 5. At no time did any other birds join this bird. The bird was not disturbed by people as the Lebergs fed it corn regularly and on numerous occasions had to warn other people who had stopped so that they wouldn't take the bird with them. On at least one occasion a party had picked the bird up. It appeared on the road each day at 9 a.m. and drummed all day. When slow-moving vehicles approached, especially large trucks, the bird would go out to meet them and run down the road after them after the trucks had passed. It would also become very interested when Mrs. Leberg would mock its booming. Since the bird left on April 5, no one in the neighborhood has seen it.