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37-491: The "Boomers" nickname comes from a common nickname for males of the greater prairie chicken species, a bird which was once abundant in the Midwest but is now a vulnerable species . That bird's nickname comes from the dance these males do in order to attract females for mating purposes. The Boomers carry on the mascot's tradition by performing a reenactment of the prairie chicken's dance in between innings during games. Originally,

74-674: A boomer , is a large bird in the grouse family . This North American species was once abundant, but has become extremely rare and extirpated over much of its range due to habitat loss . Conservation measures are underway to ensure the sustainability of existing small populations. One of the most famous aspects of these creatures is the mating ritual called booming. Adults of both sexes are medium to large chicken-like birds, stocky with round wings. They have short tails which are typically rounded. Adult males have orange comb-like feathers over their eyes and dark, elongated head feathers that can be raised or lain along neck. They also possess

111-434: A 28-in (70-cm) wingspan. These grouse have strong vertical bars of dark brown and buff-white pattern over the mantle, flanks, and underparts. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism , with the males having elongated feathers , called pinnae, erected to form what looks like ear-like structures. The male also has as a bright orange or golden air sac on either side of his neck, which he inflates during mating displays. They have

148-499: A booming, "woo-woo" sound from his neck sack, causing it to inflate, and struts around to attract a female. Some of the traditional dances of the North American Plains Indians are based on this booming display. In late spring, the hens lay 10 to 14 eggs in nests on the ground, hidden in tall grass. The eggs hatch about 26 days later. Only about 3 in 10 eggs hatch and the others are lost to predators. The chicks stay with

185-547: A circular, un-feathered neck patch which can be inflated while displaying; this, like their comb feathers, is also orange. As with many other bird species, the adult females have shorter head feathers and also lack the male's yellow comb and orange neck patch. Adults are about 43 cm (17 in) long, and weigh between 700–1,200 g (25–42 oz). The greater prairie-chicken has a wingspan range of 69.5–72.5 cm (27.4–28.5 in). There are three subspecies; The greater prairie-chicken prefers undisturbed prairie and

222-614: A lifespan of 2–5 years. T. c. attwateri is endemic to the Western Gulf coastal grasslands . Its range historically stretched west from Bayou Teche in Louisiana to the Nueces River in Texas, possibly as far south as Tamaulipas , Mexico , and inland for 75 mi (121 km). This covered an area of 6 million acres (24,000 km ). Today, populations exist in the wild at two locations:

259-750: A radio telemetry study conducted by Kansas State University that "most prairie-chicken hens avoided nesting or rearing their broods within a quarter-mile of power lines and within a third-mile of improved roads." (Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks) It was also found that the prairie-chickens avoided communication towers and rural farms. Studies have found mesopredators such as striped skunks , raccoons , and opossums significantly increase egg mortality; experimental removal of these predators increased nesting success from 33% to 82%. Loss of apex predators such as bears, wolves, and mountain lions results in increased populations of these mesopredators, and therefore reduces populations of prairie-chickens, an example of

296-678: A top-down trophic cascade . Non-native common pheasants also reduce prairie-chicken reproduction through nest parasitism . The small size of some isolated prairie-chicken populations in the Eastern portion of the range resulted in a population bottleneck , which reduced the genetic diversity and ultimately survival of offspring. In Illinois, wildlife management included the "genetic rescue" of small and potentially inbred populations by introducing birds from other areas. Greater prairie-chickens do not migrate . They are territorial birds and often defend their booming grounds . These booming grounds are

333-577: Is now on the verge of extinction, with the wild bird population at around 200 in Illinois in 2019. It now only lives on small parcels of managed prairie land. Throughout North America, it is thought that their current population has declined severely, to approximately 500,000 individuals. In May 2000, the Canadian Species at Risk Act listed the greater prairie-chicken as extirpated in its Canadian range ( Alberta , Saskatchewan , Manitoba , Ontario ). It

370-580: The Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge near Eagle Lake, Texas , and on private lands in Goliad County . The mating display can be seen January through mid-May, peaking in mid-March, when the birds gather in small groups on short grass, bare ground, or hilly areas to choose a mate. This area is called a lek or "booming ground." In these areas, the females watch the males and choose their mate. The male emits

407-611: The Florence Freedom , also 3 games to 1, in the championship round to win the title. The Boomers won their fourth title by winning the 2021 Frontier League championship as they beat the Florence Y'alls in the first round 3 games to 1, and defeating the Washington Wild Things 3 games to 2 in the championship round. Games are broadcast on WRMN (1410 AM, Elgin, Illinois ) by Boomers broadcaster Tim Calderwood. The mascot of

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444-505: The Missouri Department of Conservation has started a program to import prairie-chickens from Kansas and Nebraska in the hopes that they will be able to repopulate the state and increase that number to 3,000. Central Wisconsin is home to approximately 600 individuals, down from 55,000 when hunting was prohibited in 1954. Though this area was predominately spruce and tamarack marsh before European settlement, early pioneers drained

481-548: The Central Wisconsin Prairie Chicken Festival, started in 2006 by Golden Sands Resource Conservation & Development Council, Inc. Habitat loss is the greatest historical threat to prairie-chicken populations. More than 95% of all tallgrass prairie in the United States has been converted to cropland. The conversion of native prairie to cropland is very detrimental to these birds. It was found in

518-647: The Schaumburg Boomers is Coop the boomer. Coop is portrayed by a person dressed in a prairie chicken costume. Pitchers Catchers Infielders Outfielders Manager Coaches [REDACTED] Disabled list ‡ Inactive list § Suspended list  updated July 16, 2024 Transactions Greater prairie chicken T. c. attwateri T. c. pinnatus T. c. cupido † Tetrao cupido Linnaeus, 1758 The greater prairie-chicken or pinnated grouse ( Tympanuchus cupido ), sometimes called

555-444: The area in which they perform their displays in hopes of attracting females. Their displays consist of inflating air sacs located on the side of their neck and snapping their tails. These booming grounds usually have very short or no vegetation. The male prairie-chickens stay on this ground displaying for almost two months. The breeding season usually begins in the United States starting in late March and throughout April. During this time

592-436: The birds now have difficulty making their way through thick undergrowth. Other, less-apparent changes in the ecosystem possibly have had an effect as well. A 1937 study recorded about 8,700 Attwater's prairie-chickens remaining in four Texas counties. Attwater's prairie-chicken has been on the endangered species list since March 1967 when an estimated 1,070 birds were left in the wild. By 2003, fewer than 50 birds remained in

629-584: The championship final. The Boomers again won the 2014 Frontier League championship, winning back-to-back titles. They beat the Southern Illinois Miners 2 games to 1 in the divisional round, and beat the River City Rascals 3 games to 1 to win the title. The Boomers also won the 2017 Frontier League championship by defeating the Evansville Otters in the first round 3 games to 1, and beat

666-583: The females move about one mile from the booming grounds and begin to build their nests . Hens lay between 5 and 17 eggs per clutch and the eggs take between 23 and 24 days to hatch. There are between five and 10 young per brood. The young are raised by the female and fledge in one to four weeks, are completely independent by the tenth to twelfth week, and reach sexual maturity by age one (Ammann, 1957). A study of female greater prairie-chickens in Kansas found that their survival rates were 1.6 to 2.0 times higher during

703-592: The first half of their inaugural season as the Frontier League West Division Leaders with a record of 29–19. The team had a total of 10 representatives appear in the 2012 Frontier League All-Star Game in Normal . Manager Jamie Bennett managed the West Division squad and was joined by his coaching staff, Mike Kashirsky, Paul Kubon, C.J. Thieleke, and team trainer Scott Waehler. Schaumburg's Frank Pfister

740-437: The franchise's first-ever regular season game. Outfielder Jereme Milons had the first extra-base hit in team history with a double to centerfield in the same game. The Boomers won their home debut with a 5–2 victory over the Florence Freedom in front of 6,067 fans at Boomers Stadium. Outfielder Nate Baumann hit the first home run at Boomers Stadium with a two-run blast to left in the five-run sixth inning. The Boomers finished

777-420: The great river. The whole banks or sandbars on either river were a mass of quail or partridges. I have never in my life seen such a grand sight. They had come from the prairies to the river, but unable to fly across either stream there they were by the millions running up and down each river until they had made paths and roads. We killed a great many with sticks and clubs and took them to the boat. We met Dick Bird,

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814-406: The hen for about six weeks. This species has a diverse diet, eating grass shoots, petals of flowers, seeds, and insects such as grasshoppers . Their predators include hawks , owls , coyotes , raccoons , skunks , opossums , and snakes . Chicks are susceptible to flooding. In 1900, up to 1,000,000 Attwater's prairie-chickens inhabited the coastal grasslands. Loss of habitat is believed to be

851-480: The invasion of non-native grasses such as Old World bluestems which create monocultures and change the structure of native grasslands. Urbanization has further contributed to habitat loss. As a result of these changes over the last 100 years, the grassland ecosystem where Attwater's prairie-chicken once thrived exists in small, scattered patches whose continued existence is threatened. Where once grazing plains bison and periodic wildfires due to lightning reduced brush,

888-462: The males establish booming sites where they display for the females. The one or two most dominant males can obtain 90% of mating opportunities. Due to their now small populations and habitat fragmentation the greater prairie-chickens often undergo inbreeding causing observable inbreeding depression : with fewer offspring and a decreased survival rate within these limited offspring further aiding their population decrease. After mating has taken place,

925-484: The man this point took its name from, and he said we could look for a cold winter, as the quails and prairie chickens were leaving the prairies and trying to get south to escape the cold." The greater prairie-chicken was almost extinct in the 1930s due to hunting pressure and habitat loss. In Illinois alone, in the 1800s, the prairie-chicken numbered in the millions. It was a popular game bird, and like many prairie birds, which have also suffered massive habitat loss, it

962-542: The marshes and attempted to farm the poor soil. As the prairies to the south and west were lost to agriculture and development, and the southern half of Wisconsin was logged, the prairies spread northward into the abandoned farmland. Today, over 30,000 acres are managed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as greater prairie-chicken habitat. Birdwatchers travel from around the world to visit Wisconsin in April for

999-429: The non-breeding season compared to the breeding season; this was due to heavy predation during nesting and brood-rearing. One problem facing prairie-chickens is competition with the ring-necked pheasants . Pheasants lay their eggs in prairie-chicken nests. The pheasant eggs hatch first; this causes the prairie-chickens to leave the nest thinking that the young have hatched. In reality, prairie-chicken eggs do not hatch and

1036-585: The prime reason for their decline. One of the major factors contributing to the habitat loss was the widespread planting, beginning in the early 1900s, of Chinese tallow trees ( Triadica sebifera ) to establish a soapmaking industry. Since that time, T. sebifera has proven to be an aggressive invader of the coastal grasslands, where it displaces the diverse native plant assemblage that was dominated by prairie grasses and forbs with dense, near-monospecific stands that significantly alter biotic and abiotic ecosystem processes. Coastal prairies have also declined with

1073-644: The site. In 2014, an estimated 260 birds remained, with about 100 living in the wild. Captive-breeding programs are underway at places such as Fossil Rim Wildlife Center , Abilene Zoo, and Caldwell Zoo (Tyler, TX). Through a partnership with the Houston Zoo , a captive-breeding flock is residing on the grounds of the NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center near Clear Lake . In 2016, the population declined to 42 birds following heavy spring floods, which wiped out an entire generation of eggs. Hurricane Harvey in 2017

1110-562: The team had held a name-the-team contest, with the winning selection of "Mallers". After the ownership change, however, the Boomers name, logo, and colors were unveiled on October 18, 2011. The first signed roster player was infielder Andrew Cohn of Emory University. Shortstop Gerard Hall recorded the first hit in Boomers history in a 4–0 shutout against the Lake Erie Crushers in Avon, Ohio , in

1147-615: The team was set to play in the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball under the ownership of rival Joliet Slammers principal owner Alan Oremus; however, Oremus sold the team to Gary SouthShore RailCats owner Pat Salvi, who moved the team to the Frontier League because of his loyalty to the RailCats and lack of interest in setting up a conflict should the two teams play against each other. Under Oremus's ownership,

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1184-576: The wild. In 1999, The Nature Conservancy decided to permit new drilling close to primary breeding grounds on Texas land owned by the Conservancy. That harmed the prairie-chicken population at that location in the view of some organizations, including the Wildlife Society . The number of Attwater's prairie-chickens nesting on the land owned by the Conservancy fell from 36 in 1998 to 16 in 2003. Attwater's prairie-chickens have since disappeared from

1221-494: The young usually die due to lack of incubation . Tympanuchus cupido attwateri Attwater's prairie-chicken ( Tympanuchus cupido attwateri ) is a highly endangered subspecies of the greater prairie-chicken that is native to coastal Texas and formerly Louisiana in the United States . Attwater's prairie-chicken measures 17–18 in (43-45.5 cm) and weighs roughly 1.5 to 2.0 lb (0.7 to 0.9 kg). It has

1258-664: Was again confirmed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada in November 2009. Nonetheless, sightings and encounters continue to occur in the south-central regions of Alberta and Saskatchewan, along with southern Ontario, where sightings are extremely rare. In states such as Iowa and Missouri that once had thriving prairie-chicken populations (estimated to be hundreds of thousands ), total numbers have dropped to about 500. However,

1295-513: Was even more disastrous, likely killing at least 32 birds, with only five females found during the post-hurricane survey of the area. However, in the spring of 2018, the estimated wild population was 12. As of February 2019, with the Houston Zoo having released many individuals the previous year, the wild population was around 200. Since then, the wild population has decreased again. A count done later that year indicated only 108 birds remaining and

1332-657: Was originally found in tallgrass prairies . It can tolerate agricultural land mixed with prairie, but sparser population density is found in areas that are more agricultural. Its diet consists primarily of seeds and fruit , but during the summer it also eats green plants and insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles. This species was once widespread all across the oak savanna and tall grass prairie ecosystem . A steamboat captain recalled seeing great flocks of prairie chickens at Bird's Point in 1840, writing "Then we gazed in wonderment, but very soon our eyes were drawn to something more attractive which caused us to forget

1369-476: Was selected as the West Division's starting third baseman, and was joined by outfielders Sean Mahley and Chad Mozingo and pitchers Cameron Roth and Patrick Mincey. The Schaumburg Boomers won the 2013 Frontier League championship in September 2013, becoming the first team in league history to finish the playoffs undefeated (in this case 6–0 as they won two best-of-five series). They defeated the Lake Erie Crushers in

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