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The present investigation was conducted to investigate the histology, immunohistochemistry, stereology, and ultrastructure of the small intestine in the common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) using light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Ten birds were included in the study. The obtained findings revealed that three parts in the small intestine namely duodenum, jejunum, and ilium constituted of four layers from innermost to outermost including tunica mucosa, tunica submucosa, tunica muscularis, and tunica serosa. All parts of the small intestine had simple columnar epithelium with goblet cells reacted with Periodic Acid-Schiff and Alcian Blue stains especially in the jejunum and ileum. The cells on the tip of the duodenal villi showed immuno-positive staining for Sox9 protein, while the jejunum and ileum were negative. The jejunum had longest villi; however the duodenum had deepest crypt (p < .05). The villus surface of jejunum was significantly higher than duodenum and ileum (p < .05). SEM images revealed that the duodenum had cauliflower and leaf-like villi with plicas and recess between them. Jejunum had finger-like villi with a velvety view. The shape of the ileal villi was like that observed in the jejunum with slight differences. In conclusion, the jejunum was the most prominent region in the small intestine in terms of morphologic and morphometric features, which could be attributed to the absorption of more nutrients in this area. These obtained findings would be useful to improve the knowledge in the field of histophysiology properties of the bird's digestive system.

The present work was carried out to describe morphological features of the tongue and laryngeal entrance of the Common pheasantPhasianus colchicus, using light and scanning electron microscopy. The lingual apex was taper-shaped with a shallow median sulcus. A V-shaped papillary crest with 15-20 caudally directed conical papillae was located between the radix and corpus linguae. The second row of papillae consisting of three caudolaterally directed conical papillae was arranged caudal to the main papillary crest. The mons laryngealis was equipped caudally with a double-layer of large conical papillae as pharyngeal crest, and few small conical papillae were seen around the glottis. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation showed that the apex linguae and corpus were covered with compact filiform papillae, while the radix linguae were free of papillae. Numerous openings of salivary gland can be seen on the radix linguae and mons laryngealis at higher magnification. On histological sections, all parts of the tongue and mons laryngealis were covered with a keratinised stratified squamous epithelium. The keratinised layer became thinner rostro-caudally. The simple alveolar salivary glands were distributed in the submucosa from the apex linguae to the radix linguae as well as the mons laryngealis. PAS staining revealed mucin-secreting activity of this glands. According to the findings, although the tongue and laryngeal entrance of the Common pheasant is characteristics of a galliform bird, it has some features similar to passeriformes and falconiformes.

1. People hunt and kill animals for sport in many parts of the world. This raises many issues, some of which were brought to the fore when a lion Panthera leo, nicknamed Cecil, was killed by a trophy hunter in Zimbabwe in 2015. Cecil's death led to an unprecedented public reaction in Europe and the USA, and a debate in which opponents and supporters of sport hunting advanced different types of argument based on, inter alia, conservation, animal welfare and economics. 2. The reaction to the Cecil event provides a perspective for scrutinizing sport hunting more widely. In this article we explore parallels between lion trophy hunting in Africa (which can involve either wild or captive‐bred lions) and shooting of common pheasant Phasianus colchicus, a sport which is largely sustained in the UK by the annual release of over 40 million captive‐bred birds. 3. These two forms of sport hunting share common themes that are likely to be influential for the future of sport hunting more widely. These include the extent to which sport hunting maintains land for wildlife, and the impacts of intensification (e.g. the extent to which quarry are reared and released). Concern for the welfare of quarry animals is a dominant theme in debates about hunting. 4. These themes are likely to be relevant for the conservation of many species hunted for sport. Increasing distaste for the killing of animals for sport in many countries may lead to the end of some types of sport hunting, with implications for both habitat and wildlife conservation. It would be both prudent and appropriate for conservationists to increase the urgency with which they seek alternative methods for preventing loss of biodiverse land to other uses.

Meat from birds is a rich source of proteins for the human diet. In this framework, Eurasian woodcock (Scolopax rusticola L.), a medium-small wading bird hunted as game in many Eurasian countries, is considered one of the best meats for culinary purposes. Since the nutritional composition of Eurasian woodcock meat has not yet been reported, we decided to determine the nutritional profile of S. rusticola meat.; Results: Macronutrient components (proteins, lipids and fatty acids) were determined, as well as free and total amino acids, and compared with those of the common pheasant. Eurasian woodcock meat contains high levels of proteins and essential amino acids. The levels of unsaturated fatty acids represent a great contribution to the total lipid amount. Among polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid (C18:2, n-6) is the major essential fatty acid. Finally, we report the characterization of myoglobin (Mb) from Eurasian woodcock.; Conclusion: The data revealed that meat from this bird could be a good source of quality raw proteins because of its amino acid composition, and it had a low lipid content. On the other hand, Mb characterization might be of benefit to the meat industry, by providing useful information for the determination of species-specific differences in meat from birds. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.; © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

The Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus is widely distributed in temperate to subtropical regions of the Palearctic realm. Populations of Common Pheasant have been classified into five subspecies groups based on morphological variations in male plumage. Previous phylogeographic studies have focused on limited sets of subspecies groups in the eastern Palearctic and knowledge on subspecies in western Palearctic region is still poor. In this study, we undertake the first comprehensive analysis of subspecies from all five defined subspecies groups across the entire Palearctic region. Two mitochondrial (CYTB and CR) and two nuclear (HMG and SPI) loci were used to investigate genetic relationships of these subspecies groups and to infer their dispersal routes. Our results revealed that the subspecies elegans, with its range in northwestern Yunnan, China, was in the basal position among 17 studied subspecies, supporting a previous hypothesis that the Common Pheasant most probably originated in forests in south-eastern China. Subspecies in the western Palearctic region nested within the most subspecies-rich torquatus group (‘Grey-rumped Pheasants’), meaning the torquatus group is not a clade but instead forms a gradation with other subspecies and subspecies groups. Our dating analysis suggested that the initial divergence among populations of Common Pheasant originated around 3.4 mya with subsequent dispersal into the Western Palearctic region during the Late Pliocene-Lower Pleistocene approximately 2.5-1.8 mya. We propose two possible east-to-west colonization routes for the Common Pheasant and suggest conservation implications for some regional subspecies. Overall, this study demonstrates the lack of concordance between morphological-based subspecies delimitation and their genetic relationships. This is likely to be a consequence of initial isolation due to historical vicariance following by population admixture due to recent range expansion of Common Pheasant in the Western Palearctic region. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Over the last 50 years, the modernisation and mechanisation of agricultural techniques caused important habitat alterations in agricultural ecosystems that lead to the decline of farmland wildlife populations throughout Europe. During 2008 and 2009, we investigated the effects of Habitat Improvement Actions (HIAs) and reforestations on populations of common pheasant Phasianus colchicus in order to evaluate the influence of both habitat management strategies on pheasant male density and distribution. We estimated the density of territorial males in four study areas located in the western Po Plain (northern Italy) through the method of crowing cock counts during the breeding season. We analysed the spatial distribution of territorial males in relation to the HIA and reforestation patches comparing points with crowing cocks with random ones. Moreover, we analysed the effects of habitat characteristics including HIAs and reforestations on male pheasant density by multiple regression analyses with theoretic information approach and multimodel inference. Our results showed that both HIAs and reforestations had an important role in determining male distribution. Moreover, HIAs and reforestations were good predictor variables of male pheasant density. We concluded that HIAs and reforestations provide common pheasant with suitable habitats and can represent proper solutions for enhancing habitat diversity and quality in intensive agro-ecosystems.

Summary 1Energy production from wind power is increasing rapidly in Europe to help combat the threats from global warming. For example, the European Commission have set a target for 20% of EU energy to come from renewable sources by 2020. In recent decades, biodiversity on European farmland has fallen dramatically due to agricultural intensification. Agri-environment schemes (AES) have been implemented across the EU, in part at least, to combat these declines. Significant numbers of turbines are, and will be, built on farmland. There is, therefore, a potential conflict between wind turbines and AES on farmland. 2Various mechanisms potentially cause wind turbines to alter bird distribution including noise and physical structure. 3We show that turbine location (controlling for other effects such as boundary location and crop type) did not affect the distribution of four functional groups of wintering farmland birds (seed-eaters, corvids, gamebirds and Eurasian skylarks) at differing distances from wind turbines ranging from 0–150 m to 600–750 m. The only species for which distribution was related to the presence of wind turbines was the largest and least manoeuvrable (common pheasant Phasianus colchicus L.). 4In a further analysis of data collected at 0–75 m and 75–150 m from turbines, we found no evidence to suggest that farmland birds in our study avoided areas close to wind turbines. 5Synthesis and applications. This is the first evidence suggesting that the present and future location of large numbers of wind turbines on European farmland is unlikely to have detrimental effects on farmland birds (at least for those species included in our study). This should be welcome news for nature conservationists, wind energy companies and policy-makers. However, our work is only a first step, as there may be potential influences of wind turbines on bird distribution during the breeding season.

The common pheasant Phasianus colchicus is one of the most popular game bird species in Europe. In Italy their populations are commonly managed in order to increase the number of birds for the hunting season. For this reason we have analysed the effect of management strategies, such as hunting effort and land use and characteristics, on the number of pheasants harvested in 19 hunting districts (HDs) in Tuscany during 2001–2003 to detect the best strategies. Our results showed that, in addition to hunter density, protected area, number of wild pheasants relocated and year were selected in the final multivariate model which best explained the number of pheasants harvested. Restocking using wild pheasants captured in protected areas seemed to be of higher importance than releasing farm-reared pheasants. The key tool to sustaining the hunting pressure on pheasants seems to be correct management of the habitat combined with an adequate number of protected areas which can safeguard and produce wild phe...

The Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus is currently the most abundant, widespread and economically important gamebird in Europe. The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust has undertaken several recent studies of Pheasant breeding ecology to improve the management of this species. Although predation is often the most important cause of nest failure in declining ground-nesting birds in agricultural landscapes, the causes of predation and the identity of predators are often unknown. In this paper, we analyse data from approximately 450 nests of radiotagged hen Pheasants collected from six sites between 1990 and 2003 and present results on the fate and survival rates of Pheasant nests in relation to habitat, predation control and other covariates. Survival rates during the laying stage and incubation stage were 28 and 37%, respectively, and overall nest survival was 10%. Nest predation rates were significantly lower on two sites where intensive predation control was undertaken than on four sites with only low levels of predation control. Red Foxes Vulpes vulpes and corvids were the most important nest predators, accounting for at least half of all predation events. We assess these results in the context of other ground-nesting farmland birds.

In its maintenance of the British List, the British Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee (BOURC) is responsible for assigning species to categories to indicate their status on the List. In 1995, the British Ornithologists’ Union (BOU) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) held a conference on naturalized and introduced birds in Britain (Holmes & Simons 1996). This led to a review of the process of establishment of such species and the terms that best describe their status (Holmes & Stroud 1995) as well as a major review of the categorization of species on the British List (Holmes et al. 1998). The BOURC continues to review the occurrence and establishment of birds of captive origin in Britain. This paper summarizes the status of naturalized and introduced birds in Britain and announces changes to the categorization of many on the British List or its associated appendices (Categories D and E): Mute Swan Cygnus olor Categories AC change to AC2 Black Swan Cygnus atratus Category E* – no change Greylag Goose Anser anser Categories ACE* change to AC2C4E* Snow Goose Anser caerulescens Categories AE* change to AC2E* Greater Canada Goose Branta canadensis Categories ACE* change to C2E* Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis Categories AE* change to AC2E* Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus Categories CE* change to C1E* Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea Categories BDE* – no change Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata Category E* – alert JNCC Wood Duck Aix sponsa Category E* – no change Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata Categories CE* change to C1E* Gadwall Anas strepera Category A change to AC2 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos Categories AE* change to AC2C4E* Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina Categories AE* change to AC2E* Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis Categories CE* change to C1E* Black Grouse Tetrao tetrix Categories AE – no change Western Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus Categories BC change BC3 Red-legged Partridge Alectoris rufa Categories CE* change to C1E* Grey Partridge Perdix perdix Categories ACE change to AC2E Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus Categories CE* change to C1E* Golden Pheasant Chrysolophus pictus Categories CE* change to C1E* Lady Amherst's Pheasant Chrysolophus amherstiae Categories CE* change to C6E* Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax Categories AE* – no change Sacred Ibis Threskiornis aethiopicus Category E – no change Red Kite Milvus milvus Categories AC change to AC3 White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla Categories ACE change to AC3E Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis Categories AE* change to AC3E* Rock/Feral Pigeon Columbia livia Categories AE* change to AC4E* Rose-ringed Parakeet Psittacula krameri Categories CE* change to C1E* Barn Owl Tyto alba Categories AE* – no change Little Owl Athene noctua Category C change to C1

Genetic variability was analysed in two common breeds of pheasant (Phasianus colchicus L. 1758) by means of cross-species amplifications of microsatellite loci: 154 chicken, Gallus gallus and 32 turkey, Meleagris gallopavo, primers were tested for amplification of pheasant DNA. Thirty-six primers (25 specific for chicken and 11 for turkey) amplified pheasant DNA. Fifteen markers yielded specific products and were tested for polymorphism. Eight of them (55%) were polymorphic, with an average polymorphism of two alleles per locus. Specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products were sequenced; repeats were found in 11 of the 15 markers, although only two loci showed the same repeat and could be homologous to chicken ones.

In 1996, pullorum disease due to Salmonella enterica serovar Gallinarum biovar pullorum (Salmonella pullorum) was diagnosed in pheasants on a gamebird rearing enterprise in south-west Scotland. The gross pathology and bacteriological findings are described, as are the results of screening for S pullorum on the site in 1997. The causal organism was readily isolated from the lung, liver, yolk sac and heart blood on direct culture, but less readily from the digestive tract or by the use of selective media. The bacteria recovered from the pheasants were identified as S pullorum phage type 7, a phage type previously associated with pheasants rather than domestic fowl, and the organisms were most probably introduced to the site by the movement of carrier pheasants.