American Game Birds Research Articles

Evidence of genetic erosion in a peripheral population of a North American game bird: the Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae)

Population extirpations are often precursors to species extinctions. Anthropogenic activities often lead to smaller populations that are more prone to extirpations and advocates for active conservation management have recently called for the preservation and monitoring of genetic diversity, particularly with regard to the adaptive potential of vulnerable populations. We used genomics and curated arrays of molecular markers, including those expected to impact key fitness traits, to quantify evidence of genomic erosion in core and peripheral populations of a gallinaceous bird. The Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae) is a game species considered vulnerable to extirpation in Texas, but core populations in Arizona and New Mexico are robust and have the potential to serve as genetic reservoirs. We sequenced the Montezuma quail genome then developed a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assay to quantify genetic variation, effective population sizes, signatures of natural selection, and population structure. We genotyped SNPs from gene deserts and from genes associated with fitness traits and found the isolated Texas population exhibits an extremely small effective population size, is genetically distinct from our Arizona and New Mexico samples, and has reduced heterozygosity at the fitness-related markers. Thus, our samples from Texas exhibit symptoms of genetic erosion that could exacerbate future risk of local extirpation. Management agencies must decide if active conservation efforts such as assisted gene flow or genetic rescue are now warranted. This decision may not be straightforward because the current conservation status of the Texas population reflects its isolated geographic locale on the periphery of the species’ range.

Density and abundance of Wilson's snipeGallinago delicatain winter in the Lower Mississippi Flyway, USA

Wilson's snipeGallinago delicatais one of the least studied North American game birds, and information on snipe populations and abundance is mostly unknown. We conducted roadside surveys stratified at the township level in the lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (LMAV) in Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana, as well as the Red River Region, and the Gulf Coastal Plain of Louisiana during winters of 2009 and 2010. We identified observer, vegetation cover, and water cover as important covariates in estimating snipe densities. We detected 2915 snipe along 814 line transects (1450 km) for 2009 and 2010 combined. We estimated snipe densities of 8.05 individuals km‐2(95% CI: 4.57–14.17) in 2009, and 2.13 individuals km‐2(95% CI: 1.47–3.08) in 2010. We used the resulting snipe density estimates within the study area to calculate abundance estimates of 1 026 431 (95%CI: 582 707‐1 806 774) in 2009, and 271 590 (95%CI: 187 435‐392 722) in 2010 for the LMAV. Our data indicate that a road transect survey method is effective for estimating wintering snipe density and abundance in the lower Mississippi Flyway.

Beauty and the Gross Weird Beast

A meditation-dream proving, yielding interesting results, was conducted with seven participants for the particularly beautiful and culturally renowned Quetzal bird that resides in the mountainous cloud forests of Central America. Secondly, two cases verify a preliminary idea for the North American game bird in the pheasant family known as the Ruffed Grouse.

Life histories of North American game birds: a reanalysis

Recently, Zammuto (R. M. Zammuto. 1986. Can. J. Zool. 64: 2739–2749) suggested that North American game birds exhibited survival–fecundity trade-offs consistent with the "cost of reproduction" hypothesis. However, there were four serious problems with the data and the analyses that Zammuto used: (i) the species chosen for analysis ("game birds") showed little taxonomic or ecological uniformity, (ii) the measures of future reproductive value (maximum longevity) were severely biased by unequal sample sizes of band recoveries, (iii) the measures of current reproductive effort (clutch sizes) were inappropriate given that most of the birds analyzed produce self-feeding precocial offspring, and (iv) the statistical units used in the majority of analyses (species) were not statistically independent with respect to higher level taxonomy. After correcting these problems, I found little evidence of survival–fecundity trade-offs among precocial game birds, and I attribute most of the explainable variation in life-history traits of these birds to allometry, phylogeny, and geography.

On the analysis of life-history traits of North American game birds

Zammuto (R. M. Zammuto. 1986. Can. J. Zool. 64: 2739–2749) analyzed life-history traits among North American game birds and concluded that there was an inverse relationship between clutch size and longevity, independent of body mass. Problems with his selection of species, method of comparison, and estimate of longevity are pointed out, and it is suggested that his conclusion was premature.

Life histories of birds: clutch size, longevity, and body mass among North American game birds

Clutch size, longevity, and body mass data for 54 North American game birds were extracted from the literature to test the hypothesis that a trade-off exists between fecundity and survival among avian species. Species with larger clutch sizes live shorter lives than species with smaller clutch sizes (r = −0.38, n = 54, P < 0.01). This relationship still holds when the effects of body mass are removed (r = −0.34, 51 df, P < 0.05), indicating that the relationship is not simply a function of body mass. This latter finding is inconsistent with previous life-history studies, perhaps because previous researchers did not attempt to remove body mass effects from their life-history investigations. Results are similar (P < 0.05) when mean values of life-history traits are examined at the generic level. However, no relationships (P > 0.05) among mean values of life-history traits occur at any taxonomic level higher than genus or when species are grouped with respect to feeding habits. This might be the result of low sample size. I conclude that the evolution of clutch size is influenced by longevity, or vice versa, among species and genera of North American game birds.

North American Game Birds and Mammals

North American Game Birds and Mammals

North American Game Birds and Mammals

North American Game Birds and Mammals

North American game birds of upland and shoreline, by Paul A. Johnsgaard [Review

North American game birds of upland and shoreline, by Paul A. Johnsgaard [Review

North American Game Birds of Upland and Shoreline

North American Game Birds of Upland and Shoreline

A Viewpoint concerning the Significance of Studies of Game Bird Food Habits

In the past six or seven decades there have been numerous studies concerning the food habits of North American game birds. However, in recent years food studies have become somewhat passe, partly as a result of the belief that little useful information is gathered that can be used in the development of wildlife management plans (Kalmbach, 1954). In place of understanding game bird food requirements, wildlife managers have turned to various forms of habitat manipulation to increase populations, and too often have found their efforts to be futile. I can cite two examples from personal experience. First, an extensive water development (gallinaceous guzzler) program in southern Nevada in the late 1940's failed to provide a hoped-for population expansion in Gambel's Quail (Lophortyx gambelii) because much of the area affected by development lacked an adequate food resource, and food is even more important than water to the desert quail. These quail can exist quite well in the proper environments without preformed drinking water but not without food (Gullion, 1960; Hungerford, 1962; Gullion and Gullion, 1964). Second, we still apparently know too little about the food requirements of Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus), the voluminous studies of Bump et al. (1947) and others, notwithstanding, to understand fully the reasons for the periodic drastic fluctuations of population size, or to develop effective forest management plans that have resulted in significant, sustained increases in Ruffed Grouse populations. P, Three basic factors are believed to be responsible for this situation. First, most game bird food studies have been based on samples obtained in the fall from hunterkilled birds, and therefore represent items taken at the time of year when the greatest amount of food is normally available, both in quantity and variety. These fall-taken samples are often comparatively meaningless, even if carefully evaluated in terms of the variety and abundance of foods locally available to the birds (and this frequently is not done).' Second, most studies are short-term, representing one or two years' thesis research, or a short-lived (2 or 3 years) intensive state game research project. Third, seldom are the food studies related to the status of the population of birds being sampled; that is, the investigators do not specify whether the population is static, rising, or falling; the density of the species (for comparison with other areas); and how the physical condition of the birds sampled compares with a normal or standard condition. With these shortcomings it is hardly surprising that little has been learned that can be used significantly in developing long-range management programs for many native game birds. Indeed, there have been some published food studies of imported game birds that, in view of the species' failures to become established, can best be interpreted as reflecting diets that could not sustain the birds. Food studies are needed that critically sample local game bird populations during times of stress as well as during periods of population upswing as was done by Lehmann (1953). Too often it has been assumed that a wide diversity of foods available, and taken, represents a desirable and adequate food situation, at least among the gallinaceous game birds. As Errington (1936:356) pointed out long ago, feeding tendencies of vertebrates generally may be rather indiscriminate ... The presence of certain food items in the digestive system, even in abundance or with

American Water and Game Birds

American Water and Game Birds

American Game Birds

American Game Birds

American Game Birds of Field and Forest

American Game Birds of Field and Forest

American Game Mammals and Birds: A Catalogue of Books, 1582 to 1925. Sport, Natural History and Conservation

American Game Mammals and Birds: A Catalogue of Books, 1582 to 1925. Sport, Natural History and Conservation

Phillips' 'Catalogue of Game Books' American Game Mammals and Birds. A Catalogue of Books, 1582-1925. Sport, Natural History, and Conservation John C. Phillips

Phillips' 'Catalogue of Game Books' American Game Mammals and Birds. A Catalogue of Books, 1582-1925. Sport, Natural History, and Conservation John C. Phillips

Henshaw on American Game Birds American Game Birds Henry W. Henshaw

Henshaw on American Game Birds American Game Birds Henry W. Henshaw

Grinnell's 'American Game-Bird Shooting' American Game-Bird Shooting George Bird Grinnell

Grinnell's 'American Game-Bird Shooting' American Game-Bird Shooting George Bird Grinnell

Huntington's 'Our Feathered Game' Our Feathered Game A Handbook of the North American Game Birds Dwight W. Huntington

Huntington's 'Our Feathered Game' Our Feathered Game A Handbook of the North American Game Birds Dwight W. Huntington