Innovation Anthology #92: Principal and Plant Specialist
The ringnecked pheasant is a popular game bird introduced to North America in the lates 1800’s.
Since the 1970’s the wild population of these pheasants has been in decline. So, each fall, thousands of farm-raised birds are released to satisfy the hunting demand. But this may actually make things worse for wild pheasants.
University of Alberta masters student Tammy McLash looked at the distribution of pheasants and their habitat.
Contrary to what she expected, McLash found there were fewer pheasants at release sites rather than more.
TAMMY MCLASH: Two things that we think might be going on is that at release sites there’s intense hunting pressure . And that’s hunting pressure is taking both the release birds and the wild populations The other possible thing is that the released birds are displacing the wild population. And it’s known that release birds have a lower overwinter survival thatn wild birds. It seems to be that releasing pheasants is making the release sites unfavorable for the wild populations.
Pheasants prefer to run and hide rather than fly away. So the research of Tammy Mclash suggests that to increase wild pheasant populations, enhancing habitat is better than releasing more birds in hunting season.
Thanks today to Alberta Conservation Association
FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY, I’M CHERYL CROUCHER
Guest
Ann Smreciu,
Wildrose Consulting, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada,
Sponsor
Program Date: 2007-12-13