Attwater’s Prairie Chicken

While you won’t see this animal when you visit the Zoo, our zoo keepers breed these animals behind the scenes and release them into the wild to ensure they will not go extinct.

Stable

Threatened

Endangered

Good News: We are Saving a Local Bird from Extinction

May 15, 2020

It’s #EndangeredSpeciesDay and earlier this morning, you met Amber, zookeeper and APC recovery program coordinator, and saw some of the amazing work we’re doing behind the scenes to restore the Attwater’s prairie chicken…

Scientific Name

Tympanuchus cupido attwateri

Range

Texas coastal prairie

Location in the Zoo

Behind the Scenes

Cool Animal Fact

The Attwater’s Prairie Chicken is not a chicken! It’s technically a grouse – and it’s vanishing from the coastal prairies of Texas.

Working To Save This Endangered Species

In 2019, 164 Attwater’s prairie chickens were released into the wild. The effort is saving this rare Texas bird from extinction.

2,464 acres of the Attwater’s Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge was treated to manage red imported fire ants – protecting the valuable food source for chicks.

How You Can Help

Donate to the Houston Zoo’s conservation fund to help support this project.

Donate Today