Naturalised introduced gamebirds in Britain.

Abstract

Gamebirds have long been valued as a food source, as quarry for hunters and for their aesthetic qualities and many species have been introduced to Britain with varying degrees of success. There is no evidence of hybridisation between introduced and indigenous species, although some of the introduced species interbred with each other. Competition with resident species cannot be discounted but there is little evidence on which to base conclusions. The greatest impact of the introduced species has been through associated management for shooting. With recent declines in wild gamebird populations, there has been increasing reliance on the annual release of hand-reared birds to sustain shooting. Large scale releases of gamebirds have both positive and negative effects on the countryside, regardless of the origin of the species involved. These effects are discussed.