Habitat selection and local abundance of breeding pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) in Utah.

Abstract

Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) breeding populations were surveyed and habitat recorded in 70 squares, each of 256 ha, in Northern Utah in April/May 1993. Shrubby woodland cover and its edges were preferred habitat for males to establish territories compared to woodland with a lower shrub component, emergent wetland vegetation, strip cover or farmland. There was no relationship between number of hens per male territory and the territorial habitat. Observed densities were related to within-square land-use. Availability of shrubby woodland, its edges, emergent wetland vegetation and shrubby fence lines explained 48% of between-square variation in territorial male number; shrubby woodland area and the edge length of bare woodland (negative) explained 35% of variation in an index of female abundance. After removing the effect of territory density, between square variation in residual female abundance was best explained by the availability of ploughed ground, bare woodland and built up areas, the latter two variables being negative. Habitat selection and the local abundance of both sexes were associated with suitable sites for male territories, not with nesting cover. Providing territory sites might be a more effective method of increasing local pheasant abundance than planting nesting cover.