New Mexico Wildlife

Last Updated: 1/18/2012

11th Annual High Plains

 

Lesser Prairie Chicken Festival

 

Friday - Sunday, April 20-22, 2012

 

 

	Photo: Dan Williams

 

Nature enthusiasts from around the country will hear the annual calls of the lesser prairie chickens this April and flock to Milnesand, N.M., for opportunities to see the birds' colorful, sometimes comical, mating rituals on the prairie grasslands of southeastern New Mexico.

 

Be sure to register early for the 11th Annual High Plains Lesser Prairie Chicken Festival. The event is limited to 100 individuals, and spots usually are full by the April 1 signup deadline. Registration is limited because of the sensitivity of the lesser prairie chicken during the breeding season. A fee of $100 per person covers all field trips, five meals and a commemorative poster.

 

Festival participants will have opportunities to:

 

• Observe and photograph the mating rituals of the lesser prairie-chicken at close range, either from the comfort of a passenger van or on the ground in a photo blind ($25 per person for blinds).
• Bird watch with some of the best birders in New Mexico.
• Talk with ranchers and biologists working to conserve prairie chickens.
• Learn about the Southern Great Plains ecosystem.
• Enjoy good food and Western hospitality.

 

Festival sponsors include the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, the Nature Conservancy of New Mexico, the Grasslans Charitable Foundation, and the Community of Milnesand.

 

Milnesand is a small crossroads community in the heart of eastern New Mexico's prairie grasslands about 30 miles south of Portales. More information, including a registration form and accommodations is available by clicking on the link below:

 

• 2012 High Plains Lesser Prairie Chicken Festival

 

Contact:
Tish McDaniel
(575) 762-6997 or chickenfestival@yahoo.com