Spring feeding pheasants on farmland.

Abstract

Reduced winter food availability on modern farmland has been cited as a causal factor in the decline of several granivorous farmland bird species. However, few studies have investigated the impact of food availability on the biology of farmland birds in the breeding season. Analysis of body condition of over 500 hen pheasants Phasianus colchicus revealed significantly larger fat reserves on sites with spring supplementary feeding than on sites which ceased feeding at the end of the shooting season (Ist February). The fat reserves of birds provided with supplementary grain in spring were maintained at their winter levels, while fat reserves of hens foraging on solely natural foods were reduced by up to 50%. Overall, twice as many chicks were fledged when supplementary food was provided.