Radio talk by F. J. W. Schmidt 
over WHA, January 18, 1932 
2 
only dances for about one hour just after sunrise. During 
the nesting season the roosters appear every day at the 
crowing ground. On bright days the roosters dance from four A.M. 
until seven A.M. and on cloudy days at most any hour. 
The toot or boom of the prairie chicken has been heard 
by almost everyone in regions inhabited by this bird as the 
noise can be heard for over a mile on still mornings. The 
prairie chicken boom sounds something like "whoo-dooh" or 
"whoo-do-dooh." The noise is hard to imitate because the 
prairie chicken has two orange colored, drum-like sacs on 
the neck which are used in making the noise. The bill and 
nose openings are closed and the air from the lungs passes 
into these sacs when the noise is being made so that although 
the noise is muffled,the vibration of the tight skin of the 
drum-like sacs gives the boom its great carrying power. 
When the prairie chicken booms, the tail is erected, the 
wings are spread out and the black pinnate feathers on the 
neck are thrust forward until they stick straight up in the 
air above the bird's head and resemble horns. Just before 
booming, the prairie chicken vibrates its feet on the ground 
by taking short rapid steps. 
Two roosters are often seen facing each other. The two 
often fly at each other a few times and then sit about a foot 
apart with heads together for several minuted. Prairie chickens 
make several noises which sound louder then the boom at close 
range, but which are not heard more than a quarter of a mile 
away; These noises are "wuuuuk, cac-cac-cac-kee-ae, quawk,