Heath Hen

Not only did I want to show differences between the Heath Hen and Greater Prairie Chicken, but also key characteristics that can be found in Heath Hens from museums around the world.

 A great specimen belonging to the New York State Museum.

A couple of features to point out are the crop area (showing the heavy red wash) and the tail (showing the light greyish-brown tail).

 This Heath Hen from the Zoological Museum Amersterdam. He again shows the heavy red wash to the crop area, and light greyish-brown tail.

Now a specimen located at the Boston Museum of Science. Hopefully the pattern is starting to come to light about not only the other prementioned features, but in particular the crop area and tail.

A good friend sent me this picture taken of a Heath Hen located at the Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C.

 Here are some cropped pictures showing the typical features common to the Heath Hen. The first of the pronounced reddish wash of the crop area.

This picture showing a very lightly colored tail.

This is another example that has rounded pinnae.

Another feature to mention is the absence of largely tipped scapulars. So the suggestion written in literature about no set characteristic being a definitive method of identification is certainly true.

 One found in the Zoological museum in the University of Zurich:

It is somewhat hard to see in this picture, but the reddish wash of the crop is still evident.

This is a picture taken by Charles K. Reed, in the links section there is one that takes you to his book showing the price given for Heath Hen skins and mounts in 1908. He was worth 20 times more than the Attwater's Prairie Chicken!

I liked this picture because although in black and white, the lightly colored tail sticks out as well as the narrow pinnae.

These are Heath Hen skins (Male and Female) from the Virginia Tech Musuem of Natural History.

A few things noteworthy of the hen: The light greyish-brown tail and broadly tipped scaulars.

On the male, the pictures did not show a good angle of the crop to see the red, but does show the same two features as mentioned on the hen.

I also added links to additional pictures of museum Heath Hens in the Links section.

 Again the light greyish-brown tail. It seems that with each Heath hen I find, this is the case. Although I will say that from the few pictures of females, it does not appear to be the case for whatever reason.

A common point that is made almost anytime a Heath Hen is mentioned regards the introduction of Greater Prairie Chickens to New England once the Heath Hens numbers were dwindled, and how is supposedly creates so much confusion. So it is important to note that while introductions of the Greater Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) were occuring, true Heath hens (Tympanuchus cupido cupido) are distinct enough in morphological features to be separated from the Greater Prairie Chicken. It obviously helps tremendously if the area and date the bird is from happens to be available.   

Giving a generous starting date of ~1810 when introductions could have started, (taking into account that Lewis and Clark did not even return from their expedition until 1806) it gives roughly a 60 year period of introduction. From an evolutionary biology aspect, in a 60, or even 100 year timeframe, a species like the Greater Prairie Chicken would not have been able to evolve to the point where he would so closely resemble the native Heath Hen that he could not be distinguished.

One prime example of this would be the Lesser Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) that differs from his Greater "cousin" in being smaller, lighter, and having less distinct barring. Opposed to the Heath hen that was smaller, darker, and had more distinct barring. Meaning that the Lesser Prairie Chicken can be readily distinguished from the Greater Prairie Chicken both morphologically and genetically (much like the Heath hen) even if he were found in an area where the Greater Prairie Chicken inhabited.

 Another would be the situation of the eastern subspecies of Bobwhite quail that are the common supspecies in captivity and typically those that are put into hunting preserves. They are very different morphologically than the Bobwhite quail of the prairie's in being larger, darker, and having a deeper red color. Very similar to the Heath Hen vs. Greater Prairie Chicken situation. The eastern Bobwhites can be easily distinguished from the Bobwhites of the prairie for those with experience with both. To further to similarity, the bobwhite has undergone a drastic decline in many parts of the state, causing a need for importation to fill in that gap.

The point being it is very true that just because a "Prairie Chicken" was taken from New England before the Heath Hen's extinction, in no way makes it automatically a Heath Hen. With that said, and hopefully from the information provided from this webpage, it will be a little more clear that there are many differences that can be pinpointed in determing a bird to be a Heath Hen or introduced Greater Prairie Chicken. If nothing else a bird in question can be narrowed down to give a better likelihood on which bird it truly is.