This 13-foot-tall creature is the closest thing to a bird-from-Mars that you're likely to see. Prairie chickens look strange on normal days, but when they "boom" -- puffing out two bright orange air sacs on their necks -- they look positively alien.
Posed as if ready to peck to death unwary admirers, this scary statue makes a good gag photo if you pose, terrified, beneath its looming beak.
The 9,000 pound creature was designed and built by Art Fosse as Rothsay's contribution to America's 1976 Bicentennial. The tiny park in which the Chicken stands is named for Fosse, and a bronze plaque in front informs admirers that "On June 10, 1975, Rothsay was designated Prairie Chicken Capital of Minnesota."
