Habitat fragmentation, degradation, and loss have taxed early-successional species including the Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and numerous grassland obligate birds. Translocation is often applied to counteract the consequences of habitat fragmentation through the creation, reestablishment, or augmentation of wild populations for the purposes of conservation, biodiversity maintenance. However, the implementation of these techniques is often conducted without valid experimental designs and therefore lacks robust, empirical data needed to evaluate and advance the knowledge and application of translocation. Despite the increasing amount of habitat management applied to patches among fragmented landscapes, a paucity of source populations often limits natural (re)colonization. As such, translocation may serve as a surrogate to natural dispersal, but its efficacy among fragmented landscapes is uncertain. Few studies exist that have assessed site fidelity, movement, and survival of individuals following translocation among fragmented landscapes. Thus, we experimentally evaluated the efficacy of translocation using known-fate and multi-strata models to evaluate hypotheses of temporal, biological, and group effects on survival and movement of translocated and resident bobwhites. We did not detect differences in survival or movement between translocated and resident bobwhites, suggesting that movement of individuals to a fragmented habitat does not negatively influence these demographic attributes. Based on these data, we suggest that two site-specific criteria should be met prior to instituting translocation: habitat management should be conducted to ensure that quality habitat exists and the patch size should be a minimum of 600 ha of quality habitat (poorer sites may warrant even larger patches). Translocation is a viable conservation method for increasing abundance in patches when habitat quality is high but source populations are limited.

Numerous studies of behavior and ecology of northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) have depended on radiotagging and telemetry for data collection. Excluding the presumably short‐term effects of trapping, handling, and attaching radiotransmitters, researchers often assume that little bias is associated with estimating survival and behavioral parameters associated with this technique. However, researchers have not adequately examined these effects on organisms being investigated and have thus assumed demographic information obtained from such methods are valid. In light of this conjecture, it is imperative to evaluate methodological assumptions to ensure research is statistically valid and biologically meaningful. Therefore, we used Burnham's model and program MARK to analyze survival estimates of individually banded and radiotagged bobwhites during an 8‐year period (1997–2004) consisting of 6,568 individuals (2,527 radiotagged) via combined analysis of mark—recapture, dead recovery (via harvest), and radiotelemetry data to test the effects of radiotransmitters on bobwhite survival. We also compared band—recapture survival estimates to Kaplan—Meier survival estimates, and we examined the effects of various other factors (e.g., temporal, spatial) on bobwhite survival. Based on Akaike's model selection criterion, the best model including the radiotransmitter covariate (Akaike's Information Criterion adjusted for small sample size bias and overdispersion relative value = 0.72) did not explain more of the variation in survival than models without this effect. Thus, we found the effect of radiotransmitters as negligible. Bobwhite survival varied relative to spatial (e.g., site), temporal (e.g., yr and season), and gender effects. Average annual survival for the 8‐year period was 22.76% (1.50 SE) for banded‐only and 21.72% (1.49 SE) for radiotagged birds. Survival rate varied annually, ranging from 12.42% (7.51 SE) to 37.16% (8.27 SE), and seasonally, ranging from 23.82% (2.71 SE) to 65.06% (3.23 SE); however, between group (banded‐only, radiotagged) survival differences were still inconsequential. We conclude that for our study, radiotelemetry provided reliable survival estimates of an intensively managed bobwhite population, where supplemental food was provided, and this information provided useful data to make practical habitat management decisions. We believe that future radiotelemetry studies would benefit as a whole if researchers conducted similar analyses prior to presenting their results from radiotelemetry data, especially for populations that are more food limited.

During 1997 and 1998, we compared home range, movement, and site fidelity characteristics of translocated wild northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) to resident birds using radiotelemetry. We captured wild bobwhites (n=74) in southwest Georgia, USA just before the breeding season and relocated them (>1.6 km from capture sites) to sites nearby where previous density estimates revealed that populations were low compared to surrounding areas. Translocated birds were equipped with radiotransmitters and released in groups of 8 to 12. Resident birds (n=166) were also captured and simultaneously monitored via radiotelemetry. We found no difference in home range size (F 1 =0.08, P=0.78), mean daily movements (F 1 =0.04, P=0.84), or distance moved from trap or release sites to arithmetic centers of home ranges (F 1 =1.58, P=0.21) between translocated and resident bobwhites. These results suggest that translocating wild bobwhites over relatively short distances into suitable habitat does not negatively influence bobwhite movement and renders site fidelity as reasonable. Therefore, translocation of wild bobwhites before breeding season can result in enhanced numbers of adult breeders in a target location and potentially augments fall populations via reproductive yield.

During 1997 and 1998, we implemented a pilot investigation to compare survival, site fidelity, and reproductive characteristics of relocated wild northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) with that of resident birds. We captured wild bobwhites (n = 74) on managed lands in southern Georgia and relocated them (> 1.6 km from capture sites) to sites nearby where density estimates revealed that population density was low compared to surrounding sites. We equipped translocated birds with radiotransmitters and released them in groups of 8–12. We also captured resident birds (n = 166) and simultaneously monitored them via radiotelemetry. We found no difference in survival (P = 0.82), nest production (P = 0.19), or nest survival (P = 0.85) between relocated and resident bobwhites. This suggests that relocating wild bobwhites does not negatively impact their survival or reproductive output. Based on the results of the pilot study, we implemented a large‐scale relocation to determine whether relocation can increase native bobwhite populations. Following the pilot study, during 2000–2002, we relocated wild bobwhites (n = 202) within property boundaries to 3 different sites where population densities were low. Although only 2 sites experienced a significant population increase, hunting records suggested a positive population response for all sites where relocation occurred. Hence, relocation of wild bobwhites prior to breeding season may augment low‐density populations, isolated populations, or voids within populations. The utility of translocation may facilitate preservation and conservation of the northern bobwhite by augmenting restoration efforts focused on habitat management, affording species preservation in isolated habitats, and increasing population dynamics and demographics via genetic enrichment.

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