Adult individuals are medium to large birds, striped white and brown like its near relative, the Greater prairie-chicken (T. cupido), though it is smaller and paler.

They typically prefer wide, open areas such as hills and ridges with short grass for their leks, however the use of man-made structures such as roads or oil platforms has also been observed.

During the months of April and May, males will establish an area for themselves and potential mates, and will typically become territorial as the spring season progresses.

This process is repeated to a lesser degree in the fall, beginning as early as late August and reaching a height in October.

[5] The majority of the lesser prairie-chicken’s diet consists of foraged seeds, insects, and crops, as well as leaves, fruits, and forb buds.

All of these are eaten year-round based on availability, however adolescents under 10 weeks tend to eat mostly insects, and adults will as well during warmer months.

[citation needed] There is evidence suggesting that global warming may have a particularly detrimental influence by greatly reducing the size of the sagebrush ecosystem.

[8] Subfossil remains are known, e.g., from Rocky Arroyo in the Guadalupe Mountains, outside the species' current range but where more habitat existed in the less humid conditions in the outgoing last ice age.

[13] In 2015, Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan) introduced an amendment to legislation authorizing construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline that would overturn the listing.