About the Refuge

Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), located approximately 60 miles west of Houston, Texas, is one of the largest remnants of coastal prairie habitat remaining in southeast Texas and home to one of the last populations of the critically endangered Attwater's prairie- chicken, a ground-dwelling grouse of the coastal prairie ecosystem. Formerly occupying some 6 million acres of coastal prairie habitat, the Attwater's prairie-chicken was once one of the most abundant resident birds of the Texas and Louisiana tall grass prairie ecosystem. Presently, less than 200,000 fragmented acres of coastal prairie habitat remain, leaving the birds scattered among two Texas counties. The refuge is one of a handful of national wildlife refuges managed specifically for an endangered species; however, recovery activities for this imperiled bird and management of it's declining ecosystem go beyond the refuge's boundaries.

2012 Attwater’s Prairie Chicken Festival "Booming -N- Blooming"

Refuge Quick Facts

When was it established? 1972
How big is it? 10,541 acres
Why is it here? To preserve and restore coastal prairie habitat for the critically endangered Attwater's prairie-chicken.

Click to hear the peculiar sound the male makes during his intricate courtship dance – it’s all a part of impressing the female.