Estimating Factors That Influence Population Vital Rates and Space Use Patterns of Pheasant in the Central Valley, California
This study involves field operations, data collection, and analytical approaches aimed at answering basic questions regarding upland game bird populations. On-the-ground monitoring will be carried out during the spring and summer seasons with less frequent monitoring during fall and winter.
The Primary study objectives include:
- Evaluate field methodology for capturing marking and monitoring individual pheasants using VHF telemetry.
- Evaluate methodology for estimating population vital rates (e.g., nest survival).
- Estimate nesting survival of pheasants and identify factors that influence survival probabilities.
- Estimate brood survival of pheasants and identify factors that influence survival probabilities.
- Identify movement patterns using GPS technology.
- Identify and analyze food habits for pheasants during the brood rearing period.
- Conduct preliminary invertebrate availability studies in locations where mosquito abatement, seasonal flooding and other management practices differ.
- Evaluate pheasant use of intensively managed habitats for brood rearing.
- Quantify territorial turkey behavior and interactions between turkey and pheasant using audio playbacks of crowing pheasant.