Northern Bobwhite Chicks Research Articles

Behavioral state‐specific resource selection of northern bobwhite chicks

AbstractDetermining resource selection rates across life stages of a species is important to enable a comprehensive management approach that focuses on bolstering populations. Moreover, tying these selection rates to specific life‐history needs (e.g., foraging, roosting, loafing) can provide information for management practices. We studied northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) chick resource selection on a private property in Brunswick County, North Carolina, USA, to better understand foraging and roosting habitat selection. We tested 2 hypotheses (resource selection is influenced by predator avoidance, resource selection is influenced by food availability) to understand what influences specific resource use. The site was managed intensively for bobwhites using prescribed fire, seasonal mowing and disking, meso‐mammal control, and supplemental feeding. We radio‐tagged 156 chicks between 11–15 days of age from 29 unique brood captures and collected location data of roost sites and daily movement tracks for individual chicks from 2018–2019. We modeled roosting and foraging habitat selection using mixed‐effects conditional logistic regression models under a Bayesian framework. Burned upland pine (Pinus spp.) stands were selected by chicks for foraging and roosting sites. Fallow fields, unburned uplands (1 yr post‐burn), and areas closer to supplemental feed were selected by chicks as foraging habitat. We observed a negative interaction between age and fallow field selection as roosting habitat and age and areas closer to supplemental feed as foraging habitat. Our study results shed light on how circadian habitat use can vary and illustrate that one specific land cover type may not provide ideal diurnal and nocturnal habitat for bobwhite chicks.

Arthropod prey vary among orders in their nutrient and exoskeleton content.

Insectivores gain macronutrients and elements from consuming arthropod prey, but must also deal with indigestible components (i.e., exoskeleton) of prey. For example, avian chicks (e.g., northern bobwhites; Colinus virginianus) have limited gut space, and ingesting prey with relatively higher proportions of indigestible components may impact assimilation efficiency, growth, and survival. The ability of insectivores to choose higher quality prey would depend on prey taxa varying consistently in nutritional content. We tested whether there were consistent differences among taxonomic orders of arthropod prey in their macronutrient (protein and lipid), elemental (C and N), and exoskeleton content. We used northern bobwhite chicks as our focal insectivore and focused on their potential prey as a case study. We also tested the influence of indigestible exoskeleton on the measurement of macronutrient content and the ability of elemental content to predict macronutrients. We found large and consistent variation in macronutrient and elemental content between arthropod orders. Some orders had consistently high protein content and low exoskeleton content (i.e., Araneae) and are likely higher quality prey for insectivores. Abundant orders common in the diets of insectivores, like Hymenoptera and Coleoptera, had high exoskeleton content and low protein content. We also found support for the ability of elements to predict macronutrients and found that metabolizable (i.e., exoskeleton removed) elemental content better predicted macronutrient content. A better understanding of arthropod nutrient content is critical for elucidating the role of spatial and temporal variation in prey communities in shaping the growth and survival of insectivores.

A Modified Suture Technique for Attaching Radiotransmitters to Northern Bobwhite Chicks

ABSTRACTReliable and unbiased information is needed for informing management decisions relevant to all animal life stages. Radiomarking is commonly used for adult birds, but this approach is more challenging for galliform chicks. Following preliminary experimentation of multiple attachment methods, we selected 2 radiotransmitter attachment techniques, gluing and suturing, to test on 11‐day‐old northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite) chicks in an outdoor aviary environment during 1 May 2013 through 30 Sep 2016. In addition, we field‐tested a novel, modified‐suture technique on 11‐ and 12‐day‐old wild bobwhite chicks. We found that suturing was a superior method of transmitter attachment. Glue‐on attachment of transmitters performed poorly with average retention rates <7 days. The probability of retaining a radiotransmitter for the duration of our 8‐week study was 0.76 (±0.08 SE), 0.89 (±0.09 SE), and 0.00 for normal suture, our modified suture, and glue‐on techniques, respectively. Development and growth of suture‐ and patagial‐tagged bobwhite chicks (average mass gain of 41.95 g ± 2.79 SE) was unimpeded compared with a control (patagial‐tagged only, no transmitter) group of birds (average mass gain: 40.89 g ± 2.91 SE). We observed similar tag‐retention rates (0.906 ± 0.07 SE) of transmitters affixed to wild bobwhite chicks in the field using a modified‐suture technique compared with the aviary study. Our modifications to the traditional suture methods include changing the placement of the transmitter to reduce snag rate in vegetation, using a smaller gauge syringe needle to reduce skin‐tearing, applying a surgeon's knot for increased knot‐security and reduced knot slippage while suturing, and applying insta‐set spray to rapidly dry superglue to reduce handling time of chicks. The modified‐suture technique provides improvements in tag‐retention, facilitates shorter handling time of birds in the field, and provides an effective means for tagging and tracking individuals to collect ecological data and demographic vital rates on bobwhite chicks and other birds. Future studies should investigate potential sublethal effects that suture tags may impose on individuals to identify and account for estimable biases of vital rates. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.

Northern Bobwhite Chick Survival and Effects of Weather

ABSTRACTReliable vital rates for all life stages are necessary to identify limiting factors in wildlife populations and inform sound wildlife management. The difficulty associated with capturing and tagging precocial young, such as northern bobwhite chicks (Colinus virginianus), and linking variation in recruitment to ecological conditions has contributed to significant knowledge gaps in their population ecology. During 1999–2017, we captured and patagial‐tagged ≤12‐day‐old bobwhite chicks (n = 3,576) and estimated their survival from time of capture (Jun–Sep) to fall and winter (Nov and Jan) recapture and winter (Feb) recovery. We used Burnham's model implemented in Program MARK to integrate mark‐recapture and dead‐recovery (via harvest) data to estimate survival for the 19‐year study. By including weather covariates, we also evaluated explicit hypotheses related to temperature and precipitation effects on chick survival. We found inter‐annual, intra‐annual, and intra‐seasonal variation in chick survival with an average annual daily survival estimate of 0.9887 (95% CI = 0.9321, 0.9918). Precipitation amount and number of precipitation (>0.635 cm) events during the first 4 weeks post‐tagging decreased the daily survival rate of chicks curvilinearly. Average minimum daily temperature and maximum daily temperature effects on survival were negligible, but an interaction between minimum temperature and cumulative precipitation during the first 14 days post‐tagging affected survival. We recommend population modelers incorporate intra‐ and inter‐annual variation in chick survival to improve predictions. Observed variation in chick survival rates portends a significant opportunity to improve population management for bobwhites and other game birds. © 2019 The Wildlife Society

Evaluation of Two Marking Methods for 1-day-old Northern Bobwhite Chicks

We compared survival, weight gain, and mark retention of wing bands (n = 50), passive integrated transponders (PITs)(n = 50), and leg bands proportional to the chicks size (control) (n = 50) on 1-day-old northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) chicks. A repeated measures, generalized complete randomized block ANOV A of the weekly gain in weight showed no difference in the chicks growth (p >) 0.05). Survival was similar between marking methods (wing band, PITs, leg band, and control). Retention of bands during the twelve-week pen study were equal but 4% of PITs were destroyed when adult birds were recovered after harvest. We concluded that wing bands may be the most practical method of marking 1-day-old bobwhite chicks.

Integrating Burning and Insecticide to Reduce Fire Ant Impacts on Bobwhite Chicks

Hatching northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) chicks experience a low survival rate when exposed to a significant number of foraging red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta; RIFA). We initiated a study in southeastern Texas to determine if a reduced rate of insecticide and/or prescribed burning could decrease the foraging activity of RIFA below the threshold that causes mortality of northern bobwhite chicks. Research sites were divided into burned and nonburned plots and individual plots randomly received one of 4 rates of insecticide treatment: 0, 50, 75 or 100% of the recommended label rate (1.68 kg/ha) of Amdro ® (hydramethylnon) insecticide bait (Ambrands, Atlanta, GA). Bait cup sampling of RIFA was conducted and differences in RIFA foraging activity were analyzed among treatments. As the rate of Amdro ® application increased, RIFA foraging activity declined. Data from 2002 and 2003 revealed a difference in mean number of foraging RIFA in insecticide treated plots versus control plots (P < 0.05) when testing for the main effect of insecticide treatment. The mean number of foraging RIFA in 2002 decreased approximately 34%, whereas the mean number of foraging RIFA in 2003 decreased approximately 39%. In both years, the mean number of foraging RIFA collected in bait cups in burned plots was not different from nonburned plots (P > 0.05).

Methods for Capturing, Marking, and Estimating Survival of Northern Bobwhite Chicks (Poster Abstract)

Lack of techniques to capture, mark, and observe chicks from hatch to fall has hindered our ability to understand this critical life stage of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and other galliforms. We present 2 methods for capturing wild, free-ranging northern bobwhite chicks associated with a radiomarked adult and demonstrate application of capture-recapture estimators. Both capture techniques involve monitoring radiomarked adults, locating nests, determining date of hatch, and then locating roosting adults with broods prior to sunrise during the pre-flight period (1–12 days post-hatch). The first technique involves erecting a temporary circular fence around the roosting radio-marked bird and brood, securing the edges with dirt, and systematically clearing all vegetation and ground debris until chicks are captured. The second technique involves placing a temporary fence in a ‘‘V’’ formation with a small mesh funnel trap placed at the apex. Birds are then ‘‘corralled’’ into the funnel trap. We used both methods during the breeding seasons of 1997–99. Overall, we captured 762 chicks from 137 broods. Of 131 capture attempts using the ring method, 18.3% (n = 24) were complete failures, 13.7% (n = 18) resulted in partial capture, whereas 68% (n = 89) resulted in complete capture. Using the funnel method, 22.2% (n = 2) of attempts were complete failures, 22.2% (n = 2) resulted in partial captures, and 55.6% (n = 5) resulted in complete brood capture. Captured chicks can be permanently and uniquely marked using monel patagial wing bands. We demonstrate application of capture-recapture models in program MARK to estimate chick survival from hatch to recruitment in the fall population (Oct 1).

Comparison of Northern Bobwhite Chick Fecal and Crop Analyses

Impacts of modem agriculture on gamebird brood ecology have been studied in a number of species. One common factor cited has been the decline in available invertebrate food available to foraging chicks. In the United Kingdom, assessment of chick diet has been accomplished mainly through fecal analysis of wild chicks, whereas in North America crop analysis of human-imprinted chicks has become a commonly applied technique. We compared results of both techniques on groups of human-imprinted northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) chicks to determine if these different techniques provide similar results. Chicks were allowed to forage in groups of 6-8 in cotton fields with various cover crops. We euthanized half the chicks for crop analysis and isolated the other half of the chicks for 12 hours to collect feces. We found a positive relationship between total number of invertebrates/chick in crops and feces (P = 0.01, R2 = 0.51). However, among important chick-food Orders the relationship varied greatly: Coleoptera (P = 0.10, R2 = 0.34), Homoptera (P < 0.001, R2 = 0.41), and Hymenoptera (P = 0.81, R2 = 0.05). Our results suggest that there is a positive relationship between the 2 techniques, but that composition of the diet relative to what foods might be available in a particular site could be biased. We suggest more detailed research on technique development and standardization of techniques for assessing this important component of bobwhite life history.

Arthropod Consumption by Northern Bobwhite Chicks in Managed Tall Fescue Monocultures

An extensive amount of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) habitat for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) has been lost to planting of tall fescue (Schedonorus phoenix). We conducted foraging trials using human-imprinted bobwhite chicks (n 1⁄4 288) and collected terrestrial arthropods using a customized yard vacuum to assess the effects of 3 USDA mid-contract management (MCM) cost-share practices on chick foraging rates and arthropod prey selection in 36 tall fescue-dominated CRP fields in Illinois during 2008. We applied fall strip disking, fall glyphosate spraying, and fall glyphosate spraying followed by spring legume interseeding in alternating strips to 33% of each treatment field on a 3-year rotation. Glyphosate and glyphosate-interseeding treatments provided greater brood habitat benefits for bobwhite chicks than disking and control fields. Chicks consumed a greater abundance (P , 0.0001) and biomass (P 1⁄4 0.0017) of arthropods in managed fields than in unmanaged fields. Abundance and biomass of arthropods consumed by chicks were higher in glyphosate and glyphosate-interseeded strips with 1-, 2-, and 3-growing seasons post-treatment, but disking only provided this benefit for 1 growing season. Vacuum sampling provided a poor index of the availability of arthropods to bobwhite chicks, as measured by foraging of imprinted chicks. Vacuum sampling indicated arthropod abundance was greater in unmanaged than in managed fields (P 1⁄4 0.170). Custom vacuums are not an appropriate tool for measuring the abundance of arthropods important to bobwhite chicks in tall fescue CRP. Fall strip disking is an inferior MCM practice to glyphosate-based treatments in tall fescue- dominated CRP.

Impacts of Bermudagrass on Northern Bobwhite Chicks: Mobility and Heat Exposure

Impacts of Bermudagrass on Northern Bobwhite Chicks: Mobility and Heat Exposure

Survival and Reproduction of Parent-Reared Northern Bobwhites

Captive-reared and released game birds typically have low reproductive success in the wild which limits their use for restoration of game bird populations. A fundamental problem with captive-rearing techniques is the absence of a mechanism for imprinting. We developed a parent-rearing technique that facilitates pre- and post-hatch imprinting using parent-reared wild strain northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) chicks in outdoor pens. Parent-reared chicks were marked with patagial wing tags and recaptured during October and the following March. We radiomarked juveniles captured in March to monitor survival and reproductive success in two separate studies, one in Georgia, and one in South Carolina, USA. Band-recapture survival estimates of parent-reared chicks from release to the following breeding season in Georgia (2005–2007) averaged 0.12 (range 1⁄4 0.06 to 0.25) and was dependent on release period. Radio- marked, parent-reared bobwhites had lower survival than wild bobwhites and produced 0.3 nests per hen for the breeding season versus 1.0 nests per hen for radio-marked wild resident bobwhites. Nesting success and subsequent chick survival did not differ among groups, but sample sizes were small. Radio-marked, parent-reared hens (n 1⁄4 26) in the South Carolina study (2008–2010) produced 0.67 nests per hen for the breeding season versus 0.62 nests per hen for radio-marked wild resident hens. Nesting success and brood-rearing success of parent-reared hens did not differ from that of wild resident hens and breeding season survival was also similar. Survival and reproduction of parent-reared wild strain bobwhites were greater than previously reported for pen-reared bobwhites and may useful for restoring or enhancing bobwhites populations at the local scale.

Reproductive Ecology of Northern Bobwhite in North Florida

Brood habitat use and summer mortality of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) chicks and adults were studied from 1984 to 1986 at Tall Timbers Research Station near Tallahassee, Florida. Adult bobwhite (n = 134) were radio-tagged and monitored throughout the breeding season. Fifty-four nests were located and 227 bobwhite chicks were monitored to determine reproductive output and brood status. Counting chicks on the roost at night provided reliable estimates of brood size reduction. Chick loss rates were 62% to 2 weeks and 71 % to 1 month posthatch. Adult mortality from 15 May to 15 October for combined years was 31 %. Seventy-one percent of females surviving to 15 October produced a brood (defined as> 1 chick surviving to 2 weeks of age). Fourteen percent of males which survived the summer incubated a nest and produced a brood. Brood locations were analyzed for vegetative structure, composition, and insect abundance and compared to random plots. An inverse correlation (P < 0.05) existed between insect abundance and brood home ranges at 2 weeks. However, there was no correlation between insect density and chick mortality (P > 0.05). Brood locations had a greater (P < 0.05) occurrence of Compositae, Gramineae, Leguminosae, Rosaceae, and shrubs than random locations. Preferred brood areas were old (>5 years), fallow fields with a scattering of shrubby thickets and a relatively open tree canopy. Two cases of double clutching occurred in which females successfully raised a brood to 1 month of age and subsequently were found incubating a second nest.

Testing Northern Bobwhite Reintroduction Techniques in the Northern Edge of Their Range

Pen-rearing young frequently fails as a reintroduction technique in game birds because of low postrelease survival rates in the wild. This may be caused by a combination of poor genetics from domestication, unhealthy birds, birds that do not exhibit wild behavior, or birds that are unfamiliar with their surroundings after hard releases. Recent research suggests that parent-rearing, involving pre- and posthatch imprinting of wild-strain northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) chicks by adults, may be a viable option for restoring populations. Imprinting potentially causes reintroduced birds to exhibit more natural behavior. We tested this method against a slightly modified traditional propagation tool (Surrogator®) with wild-strain birds. We conducted our research on a 170-ha property containing a mixture of early successional and hardwood habitat on Long Island, New York, during the summers of 2013 and 2014. We tested the effect of rearing methodology, mass at release (as a proxy for physical condition), release timing, and year on survival using Cox proportional hazard models. Hazard analysis revealed that only earlier release dates directly improved survival whereas treatment (parent-reared vs. Surrogator), body mass at release, and year did not affect survival. The methods tested on our study area did not result in 365-day survival rates high enough to re-establish quail in the area.

Invertebrate Biomass and Richness in Various Food Plot Types in East Texas

As northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) chicks are dependent on invertebrates for food, land managers often use spring/summer food plots to meet these needs. We examined invertebrate production in native vegetation and 6 different food plot types (i.e., fallow disking only; fallow disking and fertilizing; or disking, fertilizing, and planting a single species [browntop millet, iron and clay peas, or sorghum] or a multi-species mix [browntop millet, catjang peas, iron and clay peas, Japanese millet, and pearl millet]) in the Pineywoods of east Texas. Invertebrates were collected weekly during the summers of 1997 and 1999 and for 5 weekly sampling periods during summer, 1998. For each food plot type, invertebrates were separated from debris, air dried, and weighed as a group. Bi-weekly, a 100-invertebrate sub-sample was randomly selected from each sample and sorted to order with weight and number of individuals recorded. When spring precipitation was sufficient, multi-species food plots produced greater (P < 0.05) invertebrate biomass than fallow or native vegetation plots, and all cultivated plots had more (P < 0.05) biomass than native vegetation. Likewise, all cultivated plots had more (P < 0.05) biomass than fallow plots in early summer but not in mid- and late summer. A combination of multi-species (with legumes) food plots and fallow disking should provide bobwhite chicks with invertebrates throughout most summers.

Characteristics of Four Agricultural Crops Established as Northern Bobwhite Brood Habitat

Small plots of agricultural crops are often planted in the Southeast for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) management. Often these are viewed as primarily winter habitat, and assumed to provide summer habitat. We evaluated the macroinvertebrate and vegetative structure of millet, sorghum, wheat, and soybean plots on a cotton farm to assess their value as bobwhite brood habitat. During June and July 1999 and June, July, and August 2000, we studied 5 blocks, each planted with all 4 agricultural crops. We measured invertebrate abundance along a 15-meter transect in each plot using vacuum sampling and height/density of vegetation. Visual obstruction readings (VOR) were highest in millet and sorghum, followed by wheat and then soybean (P < 0.001). Macroinvertebrate numbers differed among cover types (P < 0.001), but macroinvertebrate weights did not (P = 0.14). Among important Orders, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Diptera, and Homoptera were found in greater numbers in millet. Numbers of Hymenoptera did not differ among crops. In most cases, millet yielded the highest biomass and numbers of macroinvertebrates, followed by sorghum. Soybeans and wheat had fewer macroinvertebrates among the crops studied. On our study area it appears that millet provides the best brood habitat, although sorghum appears to provide a second useful crop. Thus, among these crops we recommend use of millet plots as brood habitat for northern bobwhite chicks.

Survival Rates of Northern Bobwhite Chicks in South-Central Iowa

We estimated survival rates for radio-tagged northern bobwhite quail chicks (Colinus virginianus) in south-central Iowa from 1986 to 1988. Survival rates and survival functions were calculated for chicks from broods raised by females, broods raised by males and from broods that did not have an adult associated with them. Survival functions differed between broods with hens and those without adults. Predators accounted for almost all of the observed mortality.

Exotic grass alters micro-climate and mobility for northern bobwhite chicks

Conservation practices are designed to provide habitat conditions that meet the environmental requirements for species of conservation concern. However, exotic invasive grass species may reduce the efficacy of these practices because they disrupt biological processes. During 7 August–6 September 2001, we investigated 2 possible ecological impacts of bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) on northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) brood ecology in managed field margins (Laurens County, GA, USA)—reduction in mobility and increased thermal risk. We tested and compared movement rates using imprinted chicks as assays and the thermal environment using in situ temperature probes for bermudagrass and forb habitats. Furthermore, we built upon the existing thermal ecology of northern bobwhite literature and established thermal models to derive time-to-death values from our empirical data. Bermudagrass reduced movement times for chicks 5-days old (0.45 min slower in treatments with bermudagrass), but not for chicks 10-days old. Furthermore, temperatures reached higher daytime temperatures in bermudagrass plots (44.0° C vs. 40.1° C) and crossed the critical hyperthermia threshold more often (32% vs. 11%) than in forb-dominated habitats. Based on simulations, chicks would reach thermal death much earlier in bermudagrass regardless of age. Collectively, our results suggest that bermudagrass reduces habitat quality for bobwhites through reduced movement efficiency and increased thermal stress. Large-scale reductions in bermudagrass are unlikely because of its invasive nature and economic importance to agriculture. However, targeted control or suppression of bermudagrass prior to and following field fallowing is necessary to achieve the objectives of conservation programs for bobwhites and likely other ground-dwelling birds. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.

Beneficial Insect Borders Provide Northern Bobwhite Brood Habitat

Strips of fallow vegetation along cropland borders are an effective strategy for providing brood habitat for declining populations of upland game birds (Order: Galliformes), including northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), but fallow borders lack nectar-producing vegetation needed to sustain many beneficial insect populations (e.g., crop pest predators, parasitoids, and pollinator species). Planted borders that contain mixes of prairie flowers and grasses are designed to harbor more diverse arthropod communities, but the relative value of these borders as brood habitat is unknown. We used groups of six human-imprinted northern bobwhite chicks as a bioassay for comparing four different border treatments (planted native grass and prairie flowers, planted prairie flowers only, fallow vegetation, or mowed vegetation) as northern bobwhite brood habitat from June-August 2009 and 2010. All field border treatments were established around nine organic crop fields. Groups of chicks were led through borders for 30-min foraging trials and immediately euthanized, and eaten arthropods in crops and gizzards were measured to calculate a foraging rate for each border treatment. We estimated arthropod prey availability within each border treatment using a modified blower-vac to sample arthropods at the vegetation strata where chicks foraged. Foraging rate did not differ among border treatments in 2009 or 2010. Total arthropod prey densities calculated from blower-vac samples did not differ among border treatments in 2009 or 2010. Our results showed plant communities established to attract beneficial insects should maximize the biodiversity potential of field border establishment by providing habitat for beneficial insects and young upland game birds.

The invertebrate diet of northern bobwhite chicks in Georgia, United States

The establishment of brood–rearing habitats along field margins has become a popular agri–environmental prescription to help reverse population declines of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) in Georgia, United States. Here, the invertebrate–diet of chicks foraging on farmland with established brood–rearing habitats is examined and compared to those of chicks on an intensively managed wild bobwhite shooting estate. In 2001 and 2002, faecal samples were collected and analysed from nocturnal roost sites of bobwhite broods. Differences in invertebrate composition between the study sites were investigated using compositional analysis. While the diet of chicks on both sites contained similar invertebrate groups, the composition of the diets varied significantly. Although chicks on farmland had eaten 1.7 times fewer Coleoptera, they had 1.7 times more Hemiptera in their diet. These data suggest that although the invertebrate composition in the diet of chicks differed between the two landscapes, both contained high proportions of important prey items.

Feeding Ecology of Ring‐Necked Pheasant and Northern Bobwhite Chicks in Conservation Reserve Program Fields

ABSTRACT Gamebird chick survival is dependent on invertebrate availability, and the ability to access insect prey is an important characteristic defining brood habitat quality. Different mixes of warm‐season grasses and forbs were established to improve the habitat quality of fields enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) for gamebirds in the Southern Plains. We analyzed the feeding ecology of human‐imprinted, 4‐ to 10‐day‐old ring‐necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) and northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) chicks in wheat fields and 4 types of conservation practices (CP) fields enrolled in CRP (CP10, improved CP10, CP2, and CP25) in western Kansas, USA, during June and July, 2004 and 2005. Foraging rates were greatest for bobwhite chicks in improved CP10 and CP25 fields and greatest for pheasant chicks in CP10 and CP25 fields. Vegetation characteristics such as bare ground cover appear to have a significant impact on insect selection, because the diet was more diverse for both species in fields with more bare ground. The CP25 fields provided the best combination of mobility and diet breadth for both species. Although herbicide‐treated wheat fields had low feeding rates, we determined non‐herbicide‐treated fields (i.e., weedy wheat) provided easy mobility and feeding rates similar to CRP fields. We suggest that management of vegetation to benefit gamebirds does not affect species equally. Feeding rates of bobwhite chicks were sensitive to vegetation‐influenced mobility. Management of CRP fields for both pheasant and bobwhite chicks can be reconciled by practices that permit more open space at ground level, such as light disking or burning, to permit easier movement for chicks.