Heath hen

Heath hen
Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Domain	Eukaryota
Kingdom	Animalia
Branch	Deuterostomia
Phylum Information
Phylum	Chordata
Sub-phylum	Vertebrata
Infraphylum	Gnathostomata
Class Information
Superclass	Tetrapoda
Class	Aves
Order Information
Superorder	Galloanserimorphae
Order	Galliformes
Sub-order	Phasiani
Family Information
Superfamily	Phasianoidea
Family	Phasianidae
Genus Information
Genus	Tympanuchus
Species Information
Species	T. cupido
Subspecies	T. c. cupido
Population statistics
Conservation status	Extinct

The heath hen (Tympanuchus cupido cupido) was a subspecies of the greater prairie chicken, and may have been the bird - and not the wild turkey - that was served during the first Thanksgiving dinner by the early American colonists. Once found in the grassy areas of the east coast of the United States, the heath hen became extinct by 1932, the result of over-hunting and human development.

Description

The heath hen was similar to the greater prairie chicken, albeit smaller. It was about 17 inches long and weigh 24-42 ounces. The color overall was a buff brown with a reddish hue, with heavier dark barring on the feathers as opposed to prairie chickens. Males have long feathers on either side of the head which, when raised in display during the breeding season, give the appearance of having "ears"; males further display an inflatable orange-colored sack on either side of the neck, which they use to amplify their breeding calls.