Once an abundant bird on the grasslands of Iowa, the combination of habitat loss and overhunting led to the extirpation of this grassland grouse from Iowa in the 1950s. After several unsuccessful attempts to reestablish a population in the Loess Hills, prairie-chickens were successfully released in southern Iowa in the late 1980s. Birds have been released in several counties but the greatest success has been in Ringgold County where a small population persists on a combination of public and private grasslands. Prairie-chickens are birds of open horizons, and their populations are imperiled throughout their range. Intensive grassland management has been needed to maintain the population in Iowa. With the return of prairie-chickens to Iowa, Iowans again have the opportunity to see them give their unique springtime courtship dance.
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indicates a designated IBA.