Ring‐necked pheasant nest site selection in a landscape with high adoption of fall‐seeded cover crops

Abstract

Grasslands provide important nesting cover for ring‐necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus), but they have been largely reduced with intensification of row‐cropping systems, resulting in population declines for pheasants and other grassland birds across the U.S. Row‐crop intensification and landscape homogenization has had negative impacts on environmental health, and agronomic practices such as fall‐seeded cover crops seek to ameliorate some of the environmental issues. Whether fall‐seeded cover crops provide additional benefits to wildlife, such as creating nesting cover for pheasants, remains unknown. We used radio telemetry and nest searches in 365, 0.4‐ha² plots during summer of 2019 and 2020 in 3 cover types including fall‐seeded cover crops, native warm season grasses, and cool season grasses to examine nest site selection by pheasants in the agricultural dominated landscape of Washington County, Iowa. We examined nest site selection at 3 spatial scales based on cover type and specific vegetation attributes to understand factors influencing nest site selection. Highest nest densities were found in native warm season grass (0.59 nests/ha, 95% CI = 0.41–0.86), while pheasants nested at low densities in cool season grass fields (0.03 nests/ha, 95% CI = 0.00–0.21) and cover crop fields (0.03 nests/ha, 95% CI = 0.01–0.12). Most nest‐site selection occurred at the landscape level (second order) and patch level (third order) and was influenced by percent litter cover (second order) and visual obstruction or vegetation density (third order). Our findings suggest that cover crops may make minor improvements in nesting cover availability but are unlikely to replicate the needs for nesting cover provided by perennial grasslands in working landscapes and thus have little potential to reverse long‐term population declines.

Evaluation of methods used to improve grasslands as ring‐necked pheasant brood habitat

“…Most of our sites had an average of 40 cm or greater vegetation height the same year treatments occurred, and all sites had an average of 40 cm or greater vegetation height within one year after treatments occurred. Although the intent of this research was to manage for improved brood rearing habitat, these sites would provide suitable visual obstruction for nest concealment and subsequent nesting habitat for females (Geaumont et al 2017, Shirley and Janke 2022). In addition, offering brood rearing habitat within proximity to nesting habitat benefits multiple reproductive parameters for pheasants, and decreasing the distance chicks must travel to find an adequate food source could lead to increased chick survival rates (Hill 1985, Matthews et al 2012).…”

Landowner and biologist perceptions of game bird predators and management

“…Depredation is the principal direct cause of waterfowl and pheasant nest failure (Warner et al 1987, Klett et al 1988, Riley and Schulz 2001, Hoekman et al 2002. A variety of predators are responsible for destroying nests of ground-nesting game birds, including mesocarnivores (i.e., coyotes [Canis latrans],…”

“…Depredation is the principal direct cause of waterfowl and pheasant nest failure (Warner et al 1987, Klett et al 1988, Clark and Bogenschutz 1999, Riley and Schulz 2001, Hoekman et al 2002). A variety of predators are responsible for destroying nests of ground‐nesting game birds, including mesocarnivores (i.e., coyotes [ Canis latrans ], red fox [ Vulpes vulpes ], raccoons [ Procyon lotor ], striped skunks [ Mephitis mephitis ], American badgers [ Taxus taxidae ], and domestic dogs [ C. familiarus ] and cats [ Felis domesticus ]; Sovada et al 1995, 2000; Phillips et al 2003, 2004; Haffele et al 2013), raptors (i.e., ferruginous hawk [ Buteo regalis ], red‐tailed hawk [ B. jamaicensis ], Swainson's hawk [ B. swainsoni ], prairie falcon [ Falco mexicanus ], great horned owl [ Bubo virginianus ], and northern harrier [ Circus cyaneus ]; Ramakka and Woyedodzic 1993, Andersen 2007), ground squirrels (i.e., 13‐lined [ Ictidomys tridecemlineatus ], Franklin's [ Poliocitellus franklinii ], and Richardson's [ Urocitellus richardsonii ]; Garrettson and Rohwer 2001), and corvids (i.e., Black‐billed magpies [ Pica hudsonia ] and American crows [ Corvus brachyrhynchos ]; Sargeant et al 1998).…”