Study

Habitat preferences and survival in wildlife reintroductions: an ecological trap in reintroduced grey partridges

  • Published source details Rantanen E.M., Buner F., Riordan P., Sotherton N. & Macdonald D.W. (2010) Habitat preferences and survival in wildlife reintroductions: an ecological trap in reintroduced grey partridges. Journal of Applied Ecology, 47, 1357-1364.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Release birds in ‘coveys’

Action Link
Bird Conservation

Create uncultivated margins around intensive arable or pasture fields for birds

Action Link
Bird Conservation

Plant wild bird seed or cover mixture

Action Link
Bird Conservation

Create uncultivated margins around intensive arable or pasture fields

Action Link
Farmland Conservation

Plant wild bird seed or cover mixture

Action Link
Farmland Conservation
  1. Release birds in ‘coveys’

    A replicated study on four farms in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, England, in 2007 (Rantanen et al. 2010) found that grey partridge Perdix perdix released in coveys in autumn had significantly higher survival (78% survival of 92 monitored birds over 13 days) than adult birds released in pairs in spring (42% survival for 70 birds). The authors suggest that the differences were due to different habitat use: spring-released birds spent a lot of time in fields and field margins, whilst autumn birds spent more time in game cover crops. Use of field margins was negatively associated with survival, whilst use of crops was positively associated.

     

  2. Create uncultivated margins around intensive arable or pasture fields for birds

    A replicated study on four farms in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, England, in 2007 (Rantanen et al. 2010) found that grey partridge Perdix perdix released in pairs in the spring used field margins more frequently than birds released as family groups in the autumn. This study is discussed in detail in ‘Captive breeding, rearing and releases (ex situ conservation)’.

     

  3. Plant wild bird seed or cover mixture

    A replicated study on four farms in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, England, in 2007 (Rantanen et al. 2010) found that grey partridge released in coveys in the autumn used cover crops more frequently than birds released in pairs in the spring. This study is discussed in ‘Captive breeding, rearing and releases (ex situ conservation)’.

     

  4. Create uncultivated margins around intensive arable or pasture fields

    A replicated study in 2007 in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, England (Rantanen et al. 2010) found that grey partridge Perdix perdix released in pairs in the spring used field margins more frequently than birds released in coveys in the autumn. Four farms were studied. Birds were radio-tagged and their positions marked on a 1:5000 map.

  5. Plant wild bird seed or cover mixture

    A replicated study on four farms in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, England, in 2007 (Rantanen et al. 2010) found that grey partridge Perdix perdix released in coveys in the autumn used cover crops more frequently than birds released in pairs in the spring. Four farms were studied. Birds were radio-tagged and their positions marked on a 1:5000 map.

     

Output references
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