Survival and chick production of hand-reared gray partridges in the wild.

Abstract

Since the 1930s the gray partride (Perdix perdix) has undergone a widespread and dramatic decline throughout almost all of its North American and European range (Potts 1986). In an attempt to reverse this decline, hunters and conservationists have released many hand-reared birds but, despite these often large-scale releases, the species has continued to disappear.  By 1980 it was estimated that Great Britain's population had been reduced by 50-90% (Cramp and Simmons 1980).

Studies in Europe (Paludan 1963; Bouchner and Temmlova 1974, 1975) have shown that hand-reared partridges suffer high winter losses (mortality and dispersal) following their release into the wild and make no contribution to future breeding populations.  We describe the winter losses and productivity of an individually marked, hand-reared population of partridges successfully released onto farmland in southern England.