Lesser Prairie Chickens and "The Dance"

What a great way to start a day, visiting a Lek in Colorado.  A Lek is an area where the prairie birds and some animals carry on display and courtship behavior.  There are quite a few leks in Colorado and it is quite an adventure.




When you wake up before dark it makes you wonder what you are doing; as you arrive before sunrise and hear the distinctive bird calls it all becomes clear.   As the sky brightens you can start to make out the birds and at daylight you see "The Dance".




I watch in amazement as the birds bob their heads and then side step to get attention.  Many males dance in front of the female vying for her interest.  Sometimes the females just seem to not care, but the males still dance.  This species is decreasing in number and I feel fortunate that our group got to see 16 birds.

Within an hour or so the female birds fly from the lek and the males just stop where they stand.  What a show!