Heath hen

The heath hen (Tympanuchus cupido cupido) is an extinct subspecies of the greater prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido), a large North American bird in the grouse family. It became extinct in 1932.

Heath hens lived in the scrubby heathland barrens of coastal North America from southernmost New Hampshire to northern Virginia in historical times. The other subspecies of prairie-chickens inhabited prairies from Texas north to Indiana and the Dakotas (and earlier in mid-southern Canada).

Heath hens were extremely common in their habitat during colonial times; because of this, they were hunted by settlers extensively for food. It is speculated that the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving dinner featured heath hens and not wild turkey. By the late 18th century, the heath hen had a reputation as poor man's food for being so cheap and plentiful; somewhat earlier, Thomas L. Winthrop had reported that they lived on the Boston Common (presumably when it was still used to graze cows and other agricultural activities), and that servants would sometimes bargain with a new employer to not be given heath hen for food more often than two or three days a week.

Taxonomy

thumb|upright|left|Stuffed female specimen at [[Boston Museum of Science]]

A first mtDNA D-loop haplotype comparison between heath hen specimens and prairie-chickens mtDNA haplotypes in small populations that have undergone bottlenecks are likely to show higher divergence than they would judging from taxonomic status alone, due to genetic drift. Perhaps as early as the 1840s all heath hens were extirpated from the mainland. There were about 300 left on the island of Martha's Vineyard, off Massachusetts, but by 1890, this number had declined to 120–200 birds, mainly due to predation by feral cats and poaching. By the late 19th century, there were about 70 left. Ornithologists began tracking the population in 1908. By the mid-1910s, observing the birds on their lekking grounds had become something of a tourist attraction.

thumb|Heath Hens displaying on their lekking grounds in 1918

The 1916 nesting season was a disastrous series of events that ultimately led the species to its final decline. In 1916, a fire spread across approximately one-third of the island, killing about 80% of the heath hen population, with only 150 birds remaining. and goshawks began moving into the island, further reducing the heath hens' numbers. Edward Howe Forbush noted that "fewer than 100 birds still lived" following these events. The remaining population of heath hens had a significantly male biased sex-ratio, leading to further complications in the upcoming years. Captive breeding efforts were attempted, but some surviving males had undeveloped testes, either from an inadequate diet or because of captive-breeding practices. In 1925, the Federation of the Bird Clubs of New England proffered $2,000 annually toward conservation efforts.

Heath hens were one of the first bird species that Americans tried to save from extinction. As early as 1791, a bill "for the preservation of heath-hen and other game" was introduced in the New York State legislature. Some representatives misinterpreted the bill when it was read as an act to protect "Indians and other ." Although the legislation was passed, it turned out to be nearly impossible to enforce.

References

External links

Comparative Analysis between the Heath Hen and Greater Prairie Chicken
Birds of a Very Different Feather – Article by Tom Dunlop, Martha's Vineyard Magazine, Sep./Oct. 2004.
All About Birds retrieved 11 February 2007
https://web.archive.org/web/20081110122455/http://www.heathhen.webs.com/

Taxonomy

See also

References

Further reading

External links