Attwater's prairie chicken

play

noun Att·wa·ter's prairie chicken \ ˈat-ˌwȯ-tərz- , -ˌwä- \

variants: or less commonly Attwater’s greater prairie chicken

Definition of Attwater's prairie chicken

:an endangered grouse (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri) found in the coastal prairie region of Texas that is a subspecies of the greater prairie chicken (Tympanuchus cupido) but is distinguished by its smaller size and slightly darker coloration

The Attwater's prairie chicken once was found over 6 million acres of coastal prairie that stretched from South Texas to western Louisiana. Today, the prairie chicken's population has shrunk from about 1 million birds to only 58 wild birds.
—Bob Hood, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Apr. 1997

There's more!

Love words? You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
Advanced search features
Ad free!

Origin and Etymology of attwater's prairie chicken

after Henry Philemon Attwater †1931 British-born American naturalist

Note: The taxonomic name Tympanuchus americanus attwateri (currently T. cupido attwateri) was given to the bird by U.S. Army officer and ornithologist Charles Bendire (1836-97) in Forest and Stream, vol. 40, no. 20 (May 18,1893), p. 425.

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1907

See Words from the same year