A prairie chicken is a type of grouse (a plump, chicken-like wild bird) that lives in the grasslands of North America. These birds are about the size of a small chicken, with brown and tan feathers that blend perfectly into the prairie grass. Male prairie chickens are famous for their elaborate mating displays each spring: they gather in groups on patches of open ground, puff out colorful air sacs on their necks, stomp their feet, and make loud booming sounds to attract females. These mating grounds are called leks, and watching prairie chickens perform their courtship dance was once a common sight across America's vast grasslands.

Prairie chickens were extremely abundant when pioneers first crossed the Great Plains. Flocks could number in the thousands, and their booming calls echoed across the prairies. But as settlers plowed under native grasslands to plant crops, prairie chicken populations plummeted dramatically. Today, conservation efforts work to protect the remaining prairie habitats these birds need to survive. In some states, seeing a prairie chicken lek in spring has become a special treat for wildlife watchers, offering a glimpse of what the old prairies were like.

The term “prairie chicken” is also sometimes used as a playful insult meaning a coward, though this usage is old-fashioned and rare.