Nest predation of Common Pheasants Phasianus colchicus

Abstract

The Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus is currently the most abundant, widespread and economically important gamebird in Europe. The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust has undertaken several recent studies of Pheasant breeding ecology to improve the management of this species. Although predation is often the most important cause of nest failure in declining ground-nesting birds in agricultural landscapes, the causes of predation and the identity of predators are often unknown. In this paper, we analyse data from approximately 450 nests of radiotagged hen Pheasants collected from six sites between 1990 and 2003 and present results on the fate and survival rates of Pheasant nests in relation to habitat, predation control and other covariates. Survival rates during the laying stage and incubation stage were 28 and 37%, respectively, and overall nest survival was 10%. Nest predation rates were significantly lower on two sites where intensive predation control was undertaken than on four sites with only low levels of predation control. Red Foxes Vulpes vulpes and corvids were the most important nest predators, accounting for at least half of all predation events. We assess these results in the context of other ground-nesting farmland birds.

Why do many pheasants released in the UK die, and how can we best reduce their natural mortality?

“…Predation on incubating hens during the breeding season varies between sites. Draycott et al (2008) reported 33/361 (9%) of radio-tagged hens predated on or off the nest during the breeding season at five UK sites. There was an extreme case of 80% of reared hens predated whilst nesting compared to 27% of wild-born hens at the same site (Hill and Robertson 1988a).…”

Birds as predators and as prey

“…1997) and this is a central issue in another paper in these proceedings. Draycott et al . (2008) show the importance of predation at successive stages of the breeding season in the Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus.…”

Artificial Ground Nest Survival in two Abandoned Farmland Habitats on Šolta Island (Croatia)

“…The Ring-necked Pheasant ( Figure 1) is currently the most abundant, widespread and economically important game bird in Europe (Draycott et al, 2008). In the first half of the twentieth century there were no pheasants in Šolta Island (Mladinov, 2003), but after their introduction in the second half of the century they became very abundant (Sušić et al, 1990).…”

“…The size of the pheasant population in the island is determined by predation and hunting. Although predation is often the most important cause of nest failure in declining ground-nesting birds in agricultural landscapes, the causes of predation and the identity of predators are often unknown (Draycott et al, 2008). In the absence of predator mammals, their nests are mostly threatened by certain larger bird species particularly, corvid species that have long been considered important predators of the eggs of ground-nesting birds, including game birds (Tapper et al, 1996;Olsen and Schmidt, 2004).…”