World's Largest Booming Prairie Chicken | Rothsay, MN
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We finally made it. Spring is officially here! So, I’m going to keep this intro short and sweet because I can’t think of anything that better encapsulates the truly twitterpated nature of this season than the World’s Largest Booming Prairie Chicken in Rothsay, Minnesota.
“What’s a ‘booming’ prairie chicken?” you may wonder. I’m so glad you asked.
Fast Facts
Unveiled: June 15, 1976
Height: 13 feet tall
Length: 18 feet long
Weight: 9,000 pounds
The History of the World’s Largest Booming Prairie Chicken
Located in Rothsay, Minnesota, the World’s Largest Booming Prairie Chicken towers 13 feet over the rolling plains.
But what exactly does it mean when a prairie chicken “booms”? Well, according to the statue’s plaque, “In the early spring the male prairie chicken performs his mating ritual called booming. He spreads his wings and tail feathers, inflates the orange wind sacs and struts while making the booming sound.”1
Yes, you read that correctly. This roadside attraction is a roughly 9,000-pound statue of a prairie chicken ready to mate.
The greater prairie chicken was once one of the most prominent birds in North America. However, they’ve become extremely rare due to a loss of their native habitats. But don’t fret! The ample prairie in this part of Minnesota still supports nesting broods of wild prairie chickens.
The World’s Largest Prairie Chicken statue was erected in Rothsay — the self-proclaimed “Prairie Chicken Capital of Minnesota” — on June 15, 1976 for the country’s bicentennial. Originally built by artist Art Fosse, the World’s Largest Booming Prairie Chicken received a fresh coat of paint for the town’s 125th anniversary celebration in 2008.
Plan Your Visit
This roadside attraction is an easy pit stop if you’re traveling along I-94. In my opinion, there’s no better place to stretch your legs than a offbeat oddity like a prairie chicken. The small park that the giant grouse calls home also provides some great information about the native bird.
Plus, then you can say that you’ve visited the Prairie Chicken Capital of Minnesota. Unfortunately, the nearby middle school hasn’t chosen to embrace the pride of their hometown. Their mascot, proudly displayed on the front of the school, is the tigers.
Address: World’s Largest Booming Prairie Chicken, 544 Center St. N, Rothsay, Minnesota 56579
If you’re like me and immediately wondered what that actually looks and sounds like, don’t worry! I already Googled it for you. Behold: the mating prairie chicken.
A lek is an aggregation of male animals gathered to engage in competitive displays and courtship rituals, known as lekking.
New slang for night club just dropped.