Phasianus Colchicus Research Articles

Eggshell coloration is an indicator of dietary calcium in Common Pheasants (Phasianus colchicus)

According to the structural‐function hypothesis, the eggshell pigment protoporphyrin, deposited at weak spots, can strengthen the shell structure when calcium is lacking in avian species. However, this hypothesis has not been tested in species that produce pigmented eggs of uniform ground colour without spotting patterns. We tested the structural‐function hypothesis using 435 eggs produced on seven calcium diets (0.2–4.5%) given to Common Pheasants Phasianus colchicus, a species that produces a large number of eggs on a low‐calcium diet with unspotted eggshells composed of a uniform ground colour of mainly protoporphyrin. We found that pheasants on the lowest calcium diet (0.2%), which had thinner eggshells, produced eggs containing more protoporphyrin‐based coloration than four of six other diets, suggesting this species employs pigmentation as ground colour to strengthen eggshells when available calcium is low. Our results provide the first, at least partial support for a structural function for eggshell pigments producing ground colour without spotting in a species that is often calcium‐limited. This pattern may be more widespread in other ground‐nesting taxa that also produce large numbers of eggs with protoporphyrin‐based ground colour and are potentially limited by calcium during breeding.

Designing a novel method based on multiplex PCR for detecting various meat of birds in processed ground meat products

Falsified food directly influences wildlife, fair trade, religion, and the health of society. Here, we report a multiplex polymerase chain reaction to evaluate the accurate determination of seven species of bird meat in meals on a single assay platform. To amplify segments of DNA fromColumba livia, Corvus moneduloides, Gallus gallus, Coturnix japonica, Phasianus colchicus, Struthio camelus, and Meleagris gallopavomeats, respectively, a total of seven sets of species-specific primers targeting the mitochondrial and cytochrome b genes were developed. Gel photographs and electrochromatography from an Experion Bioanalyzer were used to identify all PCR products. Species specificity checks discovered no cross-species amplification. The applicability of its screening to find target species in processed food was shown in commercial and model meatballs. A validation study revealed that the test is reliable, quick, affordable, repeatable, specific, and accurate down to 50,000 mitochondrial copies. It might be used for raw meats and products involving processed and severely deteriorated food samples. The customers, the food business, and law enforcement would all benefit immensely from this suggested approach.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) virus infections in wild carnivores connected to mass mortalities of pheasants in Finland.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has caused widespread mortality in both wild and domestic birds in Europe during 2020-2022. Virus types H5N8 and H5N1 have dominated the epidemic. Isolated spill-over infections in mammals started to emerge as the epidemic continued. In autumn 2021, HPAI H5N1 caused a series of mass mortality events in farmed and released pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) in a restricted area in southern Finland. Later, in the same area, an otter (Lutra lutra), two red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and a lynx (Lynx lynx) were found moribund or dead and infected with H5N1 HPAI virus. Phylogenetically, H5N1 strains from pheasants and mammals clustered together. Molecular analyses of the four mammalian virus strains revealed mutations in the PB2 gene segment (PB2-E627K and PB2-D701N) that are known to facilitate viral replication in mammals. This study revealed that avian influenza cases in mammals were spatially and temporally connected with avian mass mortalities suggesting increased infection pressure from birds to mammals.

Pathologic-anatomical Changes in the Comorbidity of Eimeriosis and Tuberculosis in Domestic Chicken and Decorative Pheasants (Phasianus colchicus L., 1758)

The study of patho-anatomical changes is essential in identifying pathological processes and diagnosing especially comorbid pathologies. The aim of this study was to reveal pathological changes and differences in the spontaneous comorbidity of tuberculosis (Mycobacterium avium) and eimeriosis (Eimeria spp.) in adult chickens and ornamental pheasants. The paper highlighted the results of pathological-anatomical changes in adult domestic chickens (n = 17) and ornamental pheasants (n = 5) with spontaneous comorbidity of eimeriosis and tuberculosis. Mycobacteria was detected using bacterioscopy of smears-prints from fragments of organs and Eimeria oocysts were detected by the Füllenborn flotation method. In pheasants, tubercular granulomas were found in the intestine, liver, and spleen in combination with scarring and swelling of the wall and mesentery, and venous stasis in the mesenteric vessels. In addition, hematomas and organ destruction in the liver and spleen were found in pheasants. In domestic chickens, tuberculous granulomas and steatosis were found in the liver. In the intestines, there were indications of mucocatarrhal inflammation, edema, hyperplasia, and small hemorrhages in the area of the cecal-intestinal diverticulum. Tuberculous nodules, internal hemorrhages around the perimeter of the tubercle, and devascularization were observed in the spleen. The present study revealed notable differences in the pathological and anatomical changes resulting from the comorbidity of eimeriosis and tuberculosis in domestic chickens and pheasants.

The Effect of Adding Different Levels of Reduced Glutathione to Extender on the Quality of Cooled Ring-Necked Pheasant Semen.

Aim: Artificial propagation of ring-necked pheasant through semen preservation is of significance, as this species is facing enormous threats in its natural habitat. Semen preservation inevitably induces oxidative stress, and exogenous antioxidants need to be investigated for the preservation of ring-necked pheasant semen. Therefore, the current study was conducted to investigate the role of glutathione (GSH) in extender on the liquid storage of ring-necked pheasant semen. Materials and Methods: Semen was collected from 10 sexually mature males, evaluated for sperm motility, and pooled. Pooled semen was aliquoted for dilution with Beltsville poultry semen extender (1:5) at 37°C having GSH levels of 0.0 mM (Control), 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 mM. Extended semen was gradually cooled to 4°C and stored in a refrigerator (4°C) for 48 hours. Semen quality, that is, sperm motility, membrane integrity, viability, acrosomal integrity, and DNA integrity, was assessed at 0, 2, 6, 24, and 48 hours. Results: Sperm motility (%), plasma membrane integrity (%), viability (%), and acrosomal integrity (%) were recorded higher (p < 0.05), whereas DNA fragmentation (%) was recorded lower in extender supplemented with 0.4 mM GSH up to 48 hours of storage compared with 0.2, 0.6, and 0.8 mM GSH concentrations and control. Conclusion: It is concluded that 0.4 mM GSH in extender improves sperm quality parameters of ring-necked pheasant during liquid storage up to 48 hours at 4°C.

Growing Wild: Visions of Wildlife Management as Agricultural Science in American Forests and Fields

AbstractFaced with dwindling wildlife populations and new regulatory regimes, some American farmers turned to game farming in the early twentieth century. Private boosters and government agencies envisioned game farming as a replacement for market hunting and as a new agricultural frontier, one that might further blur the boundaries between wild and cultivated nature. Farm and institutional infrastructures developed around such species as white-tailed deer and ring-necked pheasants, only to fade by the end of the interwar period. Game farming's lack of success ultimately stemmed from cultural, legal, and institutional challenges and epitomized the thoroughgoing separation of agricultural and wildlife sciences that firmed after World War II.

The impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns on wildlife-vehicle collisions in the UK.

Wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) cause millions of vertebrate mortalities globally, threatening population viability and influencing wildlife behaviour and survival. Traffic volume and speed can influence wildlife mortality on roads, but roadkill risk is species specific and depends on ecological traits. The COVID-19 pandemic, and associated UK-wide lockdowns, offered a unique opportunity to investigate how reducing traffic volume alters WVC. These periods of reduced human mobility have been coined the 'anthropause'. We used the anthropause to identify which ecological traits may render species vulnerable to WVC. We did this by comparing the relative change in WVC of species with differing traits before and during the anthropause. We used Generalised Additive Model predictions to assess which of the 19 species most frequently observed as WVC in the UK exhibited changes in road mortality during two lockdown periods, March-May 2020 and December 2020-March 2021, relative to the same time periods in previous years (2014-2019). Compositional data analysis was used to identify ecological traits associated with changes in the relative number of observations during lockdown periods compared to previous years. WVC were, across all species, 80% lower during the anthropause than predicted. Compositional data analysis revealed proportionally fewer reports of nocturnal mammals, urban visitors, mammals with greater brain mass and birds with a longer flight initiation distance. Species that have several of these traits, and correspondingly significantly lower than predicted WVC during lockdowns, included badgers Meles meles, foxes Vulpes vulpes, and pheasants, Phasianus colchicus; we posit they stand to benefit most from reduced traffic, and, of the species studied here, have highest mortality under 'normal' traffic levels. This study identifies traits and species that may have experienced a temporary reprieve during the anthropause, and highlights the impacts of traffic-induced mortality on species numbers and ultimately on trait frequency in a road-dominated landscape. By taking advantage of reductions in traffic offered by the anthropause, we can understand how vehicles influence wildlife survival and behaviour and may be exerting a selective force for certain species and traits.

Disentangling the impacts of climate and land cover changes on habitat suitability of common pheasant Phasianus colchicus along elevational gradients in Iran.

Climate and land cover change are critical drivers of avian species range shift. Thus, predicting avian species' response to the land and climate changes and identifying their future suitable habitats can help their conservation planning. The common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) is a species of conservation concern in Iran and is included in the list of Iran's protected avian species. The species faces multiple threats such as habitat destruction, land cover change, and overhunting in the country. In this study, we model the potential impacts of future climate and land coverchange on the habitat suitabilityof common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) along elevational gradients in Mazandaran province in Iran. We used shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP) scenarios and the 2015-2020 trend to generate possible future land cover projections for 2050. As for climate change projections, we used representative concentration pathway (RCP) scenarios. Next, we applied current and future climate and land cover projections to investigate how habitatsuitabilityofcommon pheasant willchange between 2020 and 2050 using species distribution modeling (SDM). Our results show that the species has 6000 km2 suitable habitat; however, between 900 and 1965 km2 of its habitat may be reduced by 2050. Furthermore, we found that the severity of the effects of climate and land cover change varies at different altitudes. At low altitudes, the impact of changing land structure is superior. Instead, climate change has a critical role in habitat loss at higher altitudes and imposes a limiting role on the potential range shifts. Overall, thisstudy demonstrates the vital role of land cover and climate change in better understanding the potential alterations in avian distribution.

A comparative study on egg cholesterol contents and eggshell protoporphyrin and biliverdin pigments of different poultry species

This study compared the cholesterol levels and shell pigments (protoporphyrin and biliverdin) of chicken (conventional and organic), quail, pheasant, and goose eggs. The material for the study was chicken (organic system - Lohmann Brown and conventional system - HyLine Brown) eggs, quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica), goose (local), and pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) eggs homogeneously selected with a subjective scoring. High-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection was used to analyze the samples (HPLC-PDA). There were no significant differences in the yolk cholesterol content of eggs between species. Based on mg/g of yolk, different poultry species had comparable amounts of cholesterol. Quail eggshells contained significantly more protoporphyrin (81.92 M/g) than chicken (conventional-organic) and pheasant eggshells (P&amp;lt;0.01), but conventional chicken eggshells contained less protoporphyrin (10.73 M/g) than other species (P&amp;lt;0.01). Biliverdin was found only in the eggshells of quail (2.83 M/g) and pheasant (1.02 M/g) (P&amp;lt;0.01). It was observed that white shelled goose eggs had no detectable pigment. Research is required to elucidate the role of diet, age, stressor, strain, and housing systems on protoporphyrin and biliverdin pigment concentrations and cholesterol in table eggs and breeder eggs production.

Habitat preferences and similarities of Grey Partridges and Common Pheasants in agricultural landscapes under organic and conventional farming

Agricultural landscapes had been inhabited by a vast number of bird species in the past; however, especially in the last decades, agricultural intensification had negatively affected habitat composition. Habitat heterogeneity decreased and the number of many species inhabiting farmland has severely declined. These landscapes still offer a home for species, but with decreasing environmental variability, less suitable habitat might be available and interspecific competition might have been altered. Agricultural fields under organic farming are often assumed to provide adequate habitats for farmland birds, thus competition for these areas might be high and affect species’ habitat selection. We compared habitat selection of two typical farmland bird species, Grey Partridges (Perdix perdix) and Common Pheasants (Phasianus colchicus), to determine the extent of habitat overlap in agricultural landscapes under organic and conventional farming in spring. Our study showed that both species preferred study squares with high habitat heterogeneity. In addition, squares with agricultural fields (e.g. without culture, winter cereals and fallow land) under organic farming were preferred by Grey Partridges, while Common Pheasants were mainly found on study squares containing agricultural fields under conventional farming. A broad habitat width in respect to food selection might have driven habitat choice of Common Pheasants; however, occupation of agricultural fields under organic farming by Grey Partridge males might also explain habitat selection of Common Pheasants. Awareness should be raised when releasing captive-rearing pheasants because interspecific competition between Grey Partridges and Common Pheasants could also affect fecundity and survival of both species.

Integrating multiple data sources improves prediction and inference for upland game bird occupancy models

AbstractBird populations have declined across North America over the past several decades. Bird monitoring programs are essential for monitoring populations, but often must strike a balance between efficiency of data collection and spatial biases. Species- or habitat-specialist-specific monitoring programs may be helpful for increasing efficiency of sampling and understanding effects of management actions, but may be subject to preferential sampling bias if they are used to assess large-scale occupancy or abundance and monitoring is largely focused in high-quality habitat. More general monitoring programs, such as the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) and eBird, may not preferentially sample specialists’ habitats but are subject to other forms of bias and often do not efficiently sample specialists’ habitats. We used an integrated occupancy model combining data from eBird, BBS, and Illinois state surveys of upland game bird habitat areas to estimate drivers of Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and Ring-Necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) occupancy and compare inference from single-visit, multi-visit, and integrated monitoring programs. We fit sets of candidate models using every combination of the 3 datasets except for eBird by itself, to better understand how differences in spatial biases between programs affect ecological inference. We found that, for both bobwhite and pheasant, state surveys of upland habitat increased the predictive ability of models, and BBS data usually improved inference on occupancy parameters when it was integrated with other data sources. Integrating multiple data sources partially resolved the spatial gaps in each monitoring program, while also increasing precision of parameter estimates. Integrated models may be capable of combining the higher sampling efficiency of targeted monitoring programs with the more even spatial coverage of broad-scale monitoring programs.

The Effect of Humic Substances on the Meat Quality in the Fattening of Farm Pheasants (Phasianus colchicus)

Background: The effects of humic substances (HSs) on the carcass characteristics and meat quality traits of breast and thigh muscles were studied. Methods: In total, 200 pheasants were allocated to 4 treatments, each containing 50 birds. The control birds were fed a diet without additives (0% HS); the other treatment birds were fed diets containing HSs at 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0% from 1 to 90 days of age. At the end of the experiment, several carcass characteristics were measured and breast and thigh muscle samples were taken to determine the composition of several nutrients by standard laboratory methods and procedures. Results: The carcass weights of both males and females increased significantly (p &lt; 0.05) in the 0.50 HS and 0.75 HS groups after supplementation with HSs. The same effect of humic substances in the 0.50 and 0.75 HS groups was found in the weight of breast and thighs (p &lt; 0.05). Significantly (p &lt; 0.05), the highest carcass yield in males and females was found in the 0.50 HS group. Conclusions: Feeding with a diet containing HSs can have a beneficial influence on the carcass parameters, decrease the crude fat content in the meat and change the profile of bioactive fatty acids in the breast and thigh muscles of broiler pheasants.

Spatial memory predicts home range size and predation risk in pheasants.

Most animals confine their activities to a discrete home range, long assumed to reflect the fitness benefits of obtaining spatial knowledge about the landscape. However, few empirical studies have linked spatial memory to home range development or determined how selection operates on spatial memory via the latter's role in mediating space use. We assayed the cognitive ability of juvenile pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) reared under identical conditions before releasing them into the wild. Then, we used high-throughput tracking to record their movements as they developed their home ranges, and determined the location, timing and cause of mortality events. Individuals with greater spatial reference memory developed larger home ranges. Mortality risk from predators was highest at the periphery of an individual's home range in areas where they had less experience and opportunity to obtain spatial information. Predation risk was lower in individuals with greater spatial memory and larger core home ranges, suggesting selection may operate on spatial memory by increasing the ability to learn about predation risk across the landscape. Our results reveal that spatial memory, determined from abstract cognitive assays, shapes home range development and variation, and suggests predation risk selects for spatial memory via experience-dependent spatial variation in mortality.

A Bayesian approach for multiscale modeling of the influence of seasonal and annual habitat variation on relative abundance of ring-necked pheasant roosters

Finding ecologically relevant relationships between environmental covariates and response variables requires determining appropriate scales of effect. While considering multiple spatial scales of effect in hierarchical models has been the focus of recent studies, the effect of spatiotemporal scales, and temporal resolution of data on habitat suitability and species abundance has received less attention. We investigated relationships between ring-necked pheasant rooster abundance and environmental covariates with the goal of identifying important variables and their scales of effect in South Dakota, U.S.A. Using a suite of remote sensing data, we examined whether seasonal environmental conditions influence pheasant relative abundance and how survey conditions might affect detectability of roosters. To select optimal scales of effect and the best subset of covariates simultaneously, we employed a Reversible-Jump Monte Carlo Markov Chain (RJMCMC) approach in a Bayesian framework. We explored sources of uncertainty in data and controlled them through consideration of random effects. The use of seasonal covariates in addition to annual covariates revealed differential effects on species abundance. The proportion of grasslands on the landscape was an important covariate in models in all years, with rooster abundance generally being highest at intermediate levels of grassland density at local scales of effect. Pheasant abundance was also positively related to the proportion of small grain crop cover on the landscape at >2 km scales. Spring gross primary productivity and percentage of herbaceous wetlands on the landscape, both at a large scale (8 km), were the most important covariates in the wet years of 2018 and 2019 and were positively related to pheasant abundance. Grasslands at intermediate levels of density explained variability of pheasant abundance. However, other variables important to pheasant relative abundance varied among years depending on prevailing weather and climate conditions. Our workflow to model relationships between relative abundance and habitat components for pheasants can also be employed to model count data for other species to inform management decisions.

Macroscopic anatomy of the plexus brachialis and its innervation in the common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)

Macroscopic anatomy of the plexus brachialis and its innervation in the common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)

Effects of chestnut wood extract and flubendazole on small intestinal morphometry and mucin layer and peripheral blood leukocytes in the pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)

The study examined leukocytes and subpopulation of lymphocytes in peripheral blood, lymphoproliferative activity, morphology of intestine including mucus barrier in pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) after treatment with flubendazole (Flimabend®) and natural extract from sweet chestnut wood (Farmatan®). A total of 24 six-month-old female pheasants were divided into 4 groups (n = 6). The FL group received flubendazole per os 100 mg/g suspension in 1.43 mg of active substance/kg body weight during 7 days of experiment. The CW group received chestnut wood extract per os at a 0.2% concentration for 6 h per day during 5 days (experimental days from 3 to 7). The FL+CW group received a combination of doses administered in the same way as for the first two groups. The control C group received administration with no active substance. The results in our trial demonstrated a mild inflammatory effect on leukocytes, lymphocytes, heterophils, eosinophils (P &lt; 0.05), and an increase of CD8+ cells in peripheral blood after administration of flubendazole (P &lt; 0.05). On the other hand, administration of chestnut wood extract containing tannins revealed an anti-inflammatory effect on immunocompetent cells (P &lt; 0.05). Enhanced lymphoproliferative activity of T and B lymphocytes was observed in chestnut wood extract groups (P &lt; 0.001). Increased total jejunal thickness of mucus (P &lt; 0.001) and increased production of MUC-2 (P &lt; 0.01) was found in the CW group. Body weight was not different between the trial groups. Results indicate that chestnut wood extract can be administered as a preventive immunomodulatory substance reducing inflammatory process as well as an adjuvant in treatment with anthelmintics in pheasants.

How keratin cortex thickness affects iridescent feather colours.

The bright, saturated iridescent colours of feathers are commonly produced by single and multi-layers of nanostructured melanin granules (melanosomes), air and keratin matrices, surrounded by an outer keratin cortex of varying thicknesses. The role of the keratin cortex in colour production remains unclear, despite its potential to act as a thin film or absorbing layer. We use electron microscopy, optical simulations and oxygen plasma-mediated experimental cortex removal to show that differences in keratin cortex thickness play a significant role in producing colours. The results indicate that keratin cortex thickness determines the position of the major reflectance peak (hue) from nanostructured melanosomes of common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) feathers. Specifically, the common pheasant has appropriate keratin cortex thickness to produce blue and green structural colours. This finding identifies a general principle of structural colour production and sheds light on the processes that shaped the evolution of brilliant iridescent colours in the common pheasant.

The diet of the White-Tailed Sea Eagle in South Moravia, Czech Republic

White-Tailed Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) re-settled the area of South Moravia (the south-eastern region of Czech Republic) in 1984. It became a regular breeding species in 2004 and since then, the population rose up to present ca 30 breeding pairs. Its diet was studied by identification of food remains on nests, mainly during ringing of nestlings (i.e. usually late April / first half of May). 605 food items were identified during 97 nest checks within the period of 1999–2023. Fish composed 47%, birds 28% and mammals 25% of the identified items. The most numerous taxa were European Hare (Lepus europaeus) – 151 inds, Carp (Cyprinus carpio) – 87, Silver Crucian Carp (Carassius auratus) – 61, Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) – 54, Northern Pike (Esox lucius) – 50, and Eurasian Coot (Fulica atra) – 33. The number of food items per nest varied between 1 and 28. The interesting findings included e.g. Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna), Stock Dove (Columba oenas), Tawny Owl (Strix aluco), or Long-Eared Owl (Asio otus).

Isolation and characterization of bacteria residing in the oral, gut, and fecal samples of different pheasant species.

There is a paucity of research conducted on microbial prevalence in pheasants. The microbiota of captive birds has zoonotic significance and must be characterize. Present study is therefore planned to assess the microbiota from oral, fecal and gut content of captive avian species. It will be helpful in characterization of harmful microbes. Different samples taken from oral, gut and feces of ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus), green pheasants (Phasianus versicolor), golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) and silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera). Samples were collected, diluted, and inoculated onto different agar plates (MacConkey, SS agar, MSA and nutrient agar) for cultivation of bacterial species. Colonies of E.coli, Staphylococcus spp. Brachyspira spp. and Campylobacter spp were observed based on colony morphology. Colony forming unit showed E. coli as frequently found bacteria in fecal, oral and gut contents of all the above pheasants. The overall significance difference was found among bacterial species of golden pheasants, green pheasant, ring-necked pheasant, and silver pheasants. It was concluded that E.coli is predominant isolated from heathy pheasants followed by Campylobacter, Staphylococcus and Brachyspira.

О некоторых консортивных связях птиц и растений-эфемероидов

The use of ephemeroids in feeding and as nest material by birds is assessed in this report. The consumption of 18 species of plants by Alectoris chukar and Phasianus colchicus both in nature (Trans Ili Alatau) as well as in culture (collection of the Botanical Garden of Almaty) was noted. In the Western Tien Shan, Passer hispaniolensis and Emberiza bruniceps utilized seven species of ephemeroids for nest building, most often Gymnospermium alberti, Ranunculus regelianus and Poa bulbosa. In the nests of six other passerine species, individual parts of such plants are less common and are used only as an admixture.