The third annual Kansas Lek Treks Prairie-Chicken Festival is to be held
in Hays, Kansas, April 11-14, 2024.

The highlight of this birding festival will include opportunities to view both Greater and Lesser Prairie-Chickens. No birdwatcher should miss seeing this yearly ritual unfold as males fight among themselves and display to females. The timing of the festival coincides with the peak of prairie-chicken breeding and female visitation to the lek.

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What is a lek?

A lek is an area where males display and maintain territories. Males, themselves, are the most valuable thing on the territory as it does not contain substantial amounts of food or adequate nesting sites. Females visit these lek sites to select a male to mate with. She will incubate the eggs and raise the young on her own. We will also journey to these lek sites to see the mesmerizing display – we will make our own lek trek!

There is so much to see besides prairie-chickens! Northwestern Kansas also hosts a multitude of bird watching, nature exploration, and other sights to see. Two wetlands of international importance are an hour or so away - Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. It is also home to Niobrara chalk formations which host fossils from the Cretaceous Period, 80 million years ago. Museums nearby document the natural history and human history of the area.

We look forward to meeting you at the festival!
Jackie Augustine
Audubon of Kansas Executive Director and Event Coordinator