Perdix Perdix Research Articles

Hungarian Partridge Population on a 60-Acre Area at Pullman, Washington

Hungarian Partridge Population on a 60-Acre Area at Pullman, Washington

Sex and Age Classes in the Hungarian Partridge

when the exterior light is poor, was solved by the use of a Jackson Light carrier, (Fig. IC), an instrument normally used in conjunction with a bronchoscope. The power source for this light carrier is a Welch and Allyn otoscope battery case, (Fig. iB), in which is incorporated a small rheostat, making it possible to regulate the brightness of the light bulb. As this light carrier is essentially a brass tube of about 21 mm. diameter with a miniature light at the end, it serves admirably as a probe, especially for probing for the bursa and the oviducts in large birds (see Hanson, 1949, for illustrations on technique used). Some types of miniature bulbs used with this light carrier have pointed tips; hence it is suggested that in order to prevent injury to delicate tissues, a Pilling-Jackson lamp, which has a rounded tip, be used in conjunction with this instrument. If prolonged inspection of the cloaca or some other investigative procedures are contemplated, the use of a Myles self-retaining type nasal speculum, (Fig. 1D), may have some advantages. This speculum would probably be most useful in birds whose cloacae had been anesthetized as it can be forced quite readily out of the cloaca of an untreated bird.

The Chukar Partridge in Nevada

The chukar partridge, Alectoris graeca chukar (J. E. Gray), a Himalayan subspecies of the red-legged rock partridge occuring over much of southern Eurasia, has been introduced, chiefly in the last two decades, in many parts of the United States. What sucess in establishment it has had, has been chiefly in certain western states (Aldrich, 1947); probably it has been most successful in Nevada. Regular hunting seasons for the species were first possible in Nevada, although they have since (in the autumn of 1949) been opened in the state of Washington. The chukar partridge has, in a relatively short time, built up to rather large populations in some areas of Nevada even though comparatively small numbers of birds were liberated initially. It seems worthwhile, therefore, to record what has been learned concerning the chukar partridge in Nevada, both because continued effort is being made to establish or increase this partridge in this and other states and, more especially, because the population of this partridge has increased to such numbers that a shootable surplus has been produced. It is of considerable moment that another exotic game bird is succeeding in North America as have the Hungarian partridge and the ring-necked pheasant. Most of the reports on the chukar partridge in different states (Bade in California, 1937; Nagel in Missouri, 1939; et. al.) deal mainly with the introduction or artificial breeding of chukars and provide little information on the establishment and consequent activities of the bird in the wild state. Moreland's paper (1950) on the establishment of chukar partridge in Washington, and Nagel's (1945) paper are notable exceptions. The present report is concerned with the establishment of the partridge in Nevada and with understanding its success there. Methods of liberation, activities immediately subsequent to liberation, and establishment under conditions of partial domestication have been studied in Nevada as they were in California (Richardson, 1941) but, except for the last subject, will not be discussed here.

On Capillaria cadovulvata, pathogenic to Perdix perdix

Capillaria cadovulvata was first described in 1945 by Madsen who found that it occurred commonly in the caeca of adult pheasants, and occasionally among partridges in Denmark. It is recorded now from a grey partridge Perdix perdix in England, where it had set up pathological changes which had been the cause of death. Madsen does not mention the presence of any lesions in association with this parasite. Though this is the first record of the species in England, it may be more common, for the species of Capillaria are not always easy to differentiate without recourse to fairly high magnification. In view of this, and because of its pathogenic nature, it seems worth while recording its occurrence and the lesions that may follow its presence.

Reference Tables for Dating Events in Nesting of Ring-Necked Pheasant, Bobwhite Quail, and Hungarian Partridge by Aging of Broods

Reference Tables for Dating Events in Nesting of Ring-Necked Pheasant, Bobwhite Quail, and Hungarian Partridge by Aging of Broods

The Hungarian Partridge in Wisconsin

The Hungarian Partridge in Wisconsin

The "Crash" decline in Sharp-tailed Grouse and Hungarian Partridge in western Canada and the role of the predator, by B. W. Cartwright [Review

The "Crash" decline in Sharp-tailed Grouse and Hungarian Partridge in western Canada and the role of the predator, by B. W. Cartwright [Review

Hungarian partridge in the Ottawa-Montreal area

Hungarian partridge in the Ottawa-Montreal area

Age Determination in Juvenal Bob-White Quail

Criteria for separating young of the year from adult gallinaceous birds are comparatively well known and have been treated in an earlier paper (Petrides, 1942), but more exact methods of determining age have yet to be developed for most species. The present study is an attempt to provide age determination data for bob-whites (Colinus virginianus) one to five months old, similar to that determined by Louis Bureau for the Hungarian partridge (Perdix perdix) and red quail (Alectoris rufa) in France. His reports (1911, 1913) contain tables and diagrams of wing feather replacement and growth that purportedly permit the determination of age, within 1 to 3 days, of healthy birds collected during their post-juvenal molt.

History and Status of the Hungarian Partridge in Michigan

Around farm yards where feed is stacked and good cover is available, quail sometimes tend to occupy a small annual range, such as is typical of the bobwhite in its more eastern localities. There is concentration of populations during severe winter weather around farm yards in some areas, where food and cover are available. Sufficient evidence is available to show a distinct seasonal shift from summer to winter range with bobwhite quail populations in northwestern Oklahoma. It appears that these movements are intensified during winters of severe weather, indicating that the movement is forced, and represents a seasonal adaptation to the varied types of quail range. Obviously this movement factor is important in management, and calls for closer examination of conclusions as to the distances traveled by hatchery released birds in this same general area.

Nesting of the Hungarian Partridge and Ring-Necked Pheasant in Whitman County, Washington

Nesting of the Hungarian Partridge and Ring-Necked Pheasant in Whitman County, Washington

The Hungarian Partridge Perdix perdix Linn. in the Palouse Region, Washington

The Hungarian Partridge Perdix perdix Linn. in the Palouse Region, Washington

Influence of Rainfall and Soil on Hungarian Partridges and Pheasants in Southeastern Michigan

Influence of Rainfall and Soil on Hungarian Partridges and Pheasants in Southeastern Michigan

Fall and Winter Mortality among Hungarian Partridges in Bottineau and McHenry Counties, North Dakota

In connection with fall and winter studies of the resident game species on the Lower Souris National Wildlife Refuge, North Dakota, covey counts of Hungarian partridges were made in 1938-39 and 1940-41 for the purpose of estimating mortality and determining the adaptability of this species to winter conditions in the agricultural districts of McHenry and Bottineau counties in north central North Dakota, within which the refuge is situated. Counts were not restricted to the refuge but were made throughout the two counties. The major part of this region is devoted to grain farming, but there is a considerable acreage of native grass and waste land. Corn growing has received increasing attention in recent years, since failure of wheat crops, the prevalence of lower prices, and the development of livestock production have prompted some of the farmers to diversify their crops. Graded and graveled roads are important locally to the welfare of Hungarian partridges. They provide the only supply of grit ordinarily available during the winter months, and probably much of that obtained at other seasons. When the snow is deep the windswept roads are apparently utilized also as feeding areas. Covey counts along roads satisfactorily sampled the population, there being a decided tendency for the partridges to include a graveled, or at least a graded, road within their winter range, especially during periods of moderately deep snow. Although counts were made in all partridge habitats, the majority were made on or near roads. Covey counts were not taken during the winter of 1939-40. There was very little snow (3 to 6 inches) until the latter part of February and partridges were not nearly so dependent upon graveled roads as they were in 1938-39 and 1940-41. Of 85 partridge deaths or injuries noted during the period from August, 1938 to March 11, 1941,1 68 were attributable to automobiles, 10 were the result of injuries caused by collision with telephone, power, or fence wires, and 6 the result of collision with either automobiles or wires. In this period one bird was killed by a prairie falcon. During the winter of 1937-38 a snowy owl was flushed from a freshly-killed partidge. Golden eagles and snowy owls were the most common winged predators on areas frequented by partridges. One or two golden eagles hunted regularly over grain fields near refuge headquarters each winter. Probably not more than four snowy owls wintered on the refuge during any one year, and but few were seen elsewhere in the two counties. These birds, and also mammalian predators, probably contributed to winter losses of the partridges. The weight and general appearance of partridges found dead along highways compared favorably with those of birds trapped for banding at feeding stations. Even during periods of deep snows and I Hunting season mortality excepted.

On a Sex Difference in the Infection Rate of Birds with Syngamus trachea

In 1937 a short paragraph by Whitlock appeared in the Journal of Parasitology commenting on the fact that there appeared to be a sexual difference in the degree of infection with Syngamus trachea of some Hungarian partridges which were being confined at the Michigan State Game Farm. Of 34 infected birds that he examined, 32 were females. He puts forward the suggestion that the strain of egg laying had lowered the vitality of the females to such an extent as to allow of the establishment of the parasite. We must assume therefore that all these birds were fully adult and that they were examined in the spring or early summer.

Hungarian Partridge in Prince Edward Island

Hungarian Partridge in Prince Edward Island

Observations on the Effect of a Spring Drought on Reproduction in the Hungarian Partridge

Observations on the Effect of a Spring Drought on Reproduction in the Hungarian Partridge

The Food of Adult Partridges, Perdix perdix and Alectoris rufa, in Great Britain

THE work on which this paper is based forms part of a research into the ecology of game birds carried on by the Bureau of Animal Population. This research has been made possible by a grant from Imperial Chemical Industries and by the donations of landowners and others interested in game preservation. Our thanks are due not only to those who have helped financially but to shooting men and keepers in all parts of the country who give facilities for this work on their estates and send us birds for examination. The sorting out and identification of most of the seeds and other plant food was done by E. Arthurs of the Oxford Botanical Department, while the identification and volumetric measurements of insects were carried out by John Ford and E. W. Aubrooke in the Hope Department of Entomology at Oxford. We are greatly indebted to them for this assistance. The present paper deals only with the food of adult wild partridges. Material collected from young partridges is being analysed and the results will be published later. Young birds are classed as adults when killed any time after the opening of the shooting season, September 1st, but a record has been kept of whether the birds examined were young adults or old birds (over 16 months old) except when crops were sent in separately by keepers and others without data. Altogether, 429 adult grey partridges (Perdix perdix) and 29 red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) have been examined for food. The crop contents only have been used for this purpose as food found in the gizzard is usually in such a finely divided state as to be almost unrecognizable and certainly of no value for quantitative work. There is no reason to doubt that the crop contents alone form a truly representative sample of the food eaten. As there is no evidence to suggest that some food items pass more quickly than others from the crop

Winter Feeding at Faville Grove, 1935-36

wildlife. Food of all sorts was plentiful and cover was lush. Nesting was unusually successful and game birds were abundant, but winter brought the deepest snow and most intense cold of the century. As a result the plentiful food supply was buried under several feet of snow, and the birds died. In the summer of 1936 a record drought severely curtailed both food and cover. The diminished crop of ragweed and acorns suffered a further loss of 10 per cent from insect attack. Nesting results were poor due to the drought. Winter brought no snow and little severe cold, but the fields were sealed by a blanket of ice on January 6 and remained so, without a break, for two months. Few birds died on fed areas like Faville Grove; but on some unfed areas quail and Hungarian partridges perished in large numbers. In the state as a whole, the survival in 1937 was much better than during the preceding winter. No fed birds f oze in 1937 whereas many froze in 1936 (3). Artificial feeding was better organized in 1937. Seeds on stalks stood above the ice of 1937, but were deeply covered by snow in 1936. The contrast between the two winters at Faville Grove is shown in the

Coccidiosis of the Grey and Stone Partridge

Through the kindness of H. H. Woken, the veterinary surgeon of the Zoological Garden in Leningrad, we were able to examine the faeces of two species of birds—the grey partridge (Perdix perdix) and the stone partridge (Caccabis chucar). It is very probable that the coccidian found by us is common to both species of birds, but as they were kept in the same cage it was not possible to determine the origin of the faeces examined.