Population Vital Rates and Space Use of Pheasants in the Central Valley, California
We propose financial support for a reconnaissance study that is critical to developing a longer term in-depth investigation of factors that influence pheasant and turkey populations in the Central Valley, California. This study will include 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. Details of the monitoring and analyses are listed below. The objective of this proposal is to develop collaboration between CDFW, USGS and other partners to carry out a pilot effort for field monitoring and research aimed at guiding effective management of pheasant and turkey populations in California.
The primary study objectives include:
- Investigate the nesting success of both Pheasants and Turkeys using video-monitoring.
- Investigate the brood success of both Pheasants and Turkeys and assess field methodology for capturing marking and monitoring individual pheasants using VHF telemetry.
- Evaluate methodologies for estimation of population vital rates (nest, brood, juvenile, and adult survival) and identify potential influential factors on those vital rates.
- Identify movement patterns using GPS technology.
- Identify and analyze food habits for both pheasants and turkeys during the brood rearing period.
- Conduct preliminary invertebrate availability studies in locations where mosquito abatement, seasonal flooding and other management practices differ.
- Evaluate pheasant and turkey use of intensively managed habitats for brood rearing.
- Quantify territorial turkey behavior and interactions between turkey and pheasant using audio playbacks of crowing pheasant.