Captive-bred Attwater’s prairie- chickens released into the wild

The annual release of captive-bred Attwater’s prairie-chickens is underway as conservation partners work to strengthen populations of one of North America’s most endangered birds.

Each summer beginning in mid-July, wildlife staff transport and acclimate captive-bred Attwater’s prairie-chickens before releasing them into protected prairie habitat. The capt ive breeding program, which has been active since the late 1990s, is designed to maintain genetic diversity and bolster wild populations.

The effort is made possible through partnerships with the Houston Zoo, George Miksch Sutton Avian Research Center, Fossil Rim Wildlife Center and Caldwell Zoo, along with landowners working through conservation easements with The Nature Conservancy.