“If they don't survive, that's a sad statement about our society…they've been a part of this land for thousands and thousands of years. And if what we've done, in the way we've taken care of the land, doesn't allow them to coexist with us, that's on us.”
Despite conservation efforts, there are fewer than 100 prairie chickens living in Iowa. The birds have disappeared from most of their original range, and today birdwatchers travel great distances to see their remarkable mating display.
Talk of Iowa host Charity Nebbe and wildlife biologist Jim Pease arrived at the Kellerton Grasslands Bird Conservation Area in Ringgold County just before sunset to see the Prairie Chicken perform its unique mating dance and discuss what makes the bird so special. Then Chad Paup, a biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, discusses conservation efforts to help the species survive in Iowa.
This episode was originally produced in April 2023.
Guests:
- Jim Pease, wildlife biologist, Iowa State University emeritus professor of Natural Resource Ecology and Management
- Chad Paup, a wildlife management biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources
