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Abstract Loss and degradation of grasslands in the Great Plains region have resulted in major declines in abundance of grassland bird species. To ensure future viability of grassland bird populations, it is crucial to evaluate specific effects of environmental factors among species to determine drivers of population decline and develop effective conservation strategies. We used threshold models to quantify the effects of land cover and weather changes in "lesser prairie‐chicken" and "greater prairie‐chicken" (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus and T. cupido, respectively), northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus), and ring‐necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus). We demonstrated a novel approach for estimating landscape conditions needed to optimize abundance across multiple species at a variety of spatial scales. Abundance of all four species was highest following wet summers and dry winters. Prairie chicken and ring‐necked pheasant abundance was highest following cool winters, while northern bobwhite abundance was highest following warm winters. Greater prairie chicken and northern bobwhite abundance was also highest following cooler summers. Optimal abundance of each species occurred in landscapes that represented a grassland and cropland mosaic, though prairie chicken abundance was optimized in landscapes with more grassland and less edge habitat than northern bobwhites and ring‐necked pheasants. Because these effects differed among species, managing for an optimal landscape for multiple species may not be the optimal scenario for any one species.

Abstract Background Avian influenza (AI) is an infectious viral disease that affects several species and has zoonotic potential. Due to its associated health and economic repercussions, minimizing AI outbreaks is important. However, most control measures are generic and mostly target pathways important for the conventional poultry farms producing chickens, turkeys, and eggs and may not target other pathways that may be specific to the upland game bird sector. The goal of this study is to provide evidence to support the development of novel strategies for sector-specific AI control by comparing and contrasting practices and potential pathways for spread in upland game bird farms with those for conventional poultry farms in the United States. Farm practices and processes, seasonality of activities, geographic location and inter-farm distance were analyzed across the sectors. All the identified differences were framed and discussed in the context of their associated pathways for virus introduction into the farm and subsequent between-farm spread. Results Differences stemming from production systems and seasonality, inter-farm distance and farm densities were evident and these could influence both fomite-mediated and local-area spread risks. Upland game bird farms operate under a single, independent owner rather than being contracted with or owned by a company with other farms as is the case with conventional poultry. The seasonal marketing of upland game birds, largely driven by hunting seasons, implies that movements are seasonal and customer-vendor dynamics vary between industry groups. Farm location analysis revealed that, on average, an upland game bird premises was 15.42 km away from the nearest neighboring premises with birds compared to 3.74 km for turkey premises. Compared to turkey premises, the average poultry farm density in a radius of 10 km of an upland game bird premises was less than a half, and turkey premises were 3.8 times (43.5% compared with 11.5%) more likely to fall within a control area during the 2015 Minnesota outbreak. Conclusions We conclude that the existing differences in the seasonality of production, isolated geographic location and epidemiological seclusion of farms influence AI spread dynamics and therefore disease control measures should be informed by these and other factors to achieve success.

Loss and degradation of grasslands in the Great Plains region have resulted in major declines in abundance of grassland bird species. To ensure future viability of grassland bird populations, it is crucial to evaluate specific effects of environmental factors among species to determine drivers of population decline and develop effective conservation strategies. We used threshold models to quantify the effects of land cover and weather changes in "lesser prairie‐chicken" and "greater prairie‐chicken" (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus and T. cupido, respectively), northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus), and ring‐necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus). We demonstrated a novel approach for estimating landscape conditions needed to optimize abundance across multiple species at a variety of spatial scales. Abundance of all four species was highest following wet summers and dry winters. Prairie chicken and ring‐necked pheasant abundance was highest following cool winters, while northern bobwhite abundance was highest following warm winters. Greater prairie chicken and northern bobwhite abundance was also highest following cooler summers. Optimal abundance of each species occurred in landscapes that represented a grassland and cropland mosaic, though prairie chicken abundance was optimized in landscapes with more grassland and less edge habitat than northern bobwhites and ring‐necked pheasants. Because these effects differed among species, managing for an optimal landscape for multiple species may not be the optimal scenario for any one species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Avian Diseases is the property of American Association of Avian Pathologists, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Avian Diseases is the property of American Association of Avian Pathologists, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

ABSTRACT American woodcock ( Scolopax minor) are managed as a Central and an Eastern population in the United States and Canada based on band return data showing little crossover between populations or management regions. The observed proportion of crossover between management regions, however, depends on the criteria used to subset the band return data. We analyzed the amount of crossover between management regions using only band return records that represent complete migrations between the breeding and wintering grounds by using only band return records in which the capture took place during the breeding season and the band recovery took place during the wintering season or vice versa ( n = 224). Additionally, we applied spatial statistics and a clustering algorithm to investigate woodcock migratory connectivity using this subset of migratory woodcock band return records. Using raw counts, 17.9% of records showed crossover between management regions, a higher proportion than the <5% crossover reported in studies that did not use only migratory band returns. Our results showed woodcock from the breeding grounds in the Central Region largely migrate to destinations within the Central Region, whereas woodcock from the breeding grounds in the Eastern Region migrate to destinations across the entire wintering range and mix with individuals from the Central Region. Using the division coefficient, we estimated that 54% of woodcock from the breeding grounds of the Eastern Region migrate to the Central Region wintering grounds. Our result that many woodcock from separate regions of the breeding grounds mix on the wintering grounds has implications for the 2-region basis for woodcock management. Elucidating finer scale movement patterns among regions provides a basis for reassessing the need for separate management regions to ensure optimal conservation and management of the species. © 2017 The Wildlife Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An essay is presented on the food that American Woodcocks eat. Topics discussed include the physiological characteristics of the birds, the importance of worms in woodcocks' diet and the ways by which the birds find their food. Also discussed are the factors affecting the food supply of American Woodcocks and the types of probing they do to find worms.

ABSTRACT The eastern wild turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) is an economically important upland game bird that has been successfully reintroduced in Wisconsin, USA, and now occurs across the entire state. Although populations have become relatively stable across much of the state, recent concerns have been expressed regarding a plateau in total harvest and declines in local abundance across some areas. Current ecological and demographic parameters are needed to develop biologically justifiable and efficient management strategies. To address these concerns, we used demographic data collected during recent studies on wild turkey survival and productivity in 2 contrasting landscapes with differing proportions of forest and open cover. We then used the properties of deterministic matrix models to identify parameters predicted to have the greatest effect on the finite rate of population change (λ) in both landscapes. Our analyses projected population decline for turkeys in predominately forested landscapes (λ = 0.782) and population increases in more open landscapes (λ = 1.112). Variance-scaled sensitivities suggested that λ was most sensitive to variation in nest and poult survival for populations in both landscapes. A life-table response experiment further indicated that higher λ in open landscapes was largely attributable to greater rates of yearling and adult female survival during the nesting and brood-rearing period. Simulated variations suggest manipulations in female harvest during the fall either-sex season had less impact on λ than did alterations in components of fecundity. Our model results indicated that wild turkey population growth varies across landscapes in southwest and west-central Wisconsin. Management practices that address factors influencing components of fecundity likely have the greatest effect on λ in both landscapes. Additionally, populations in forested landscapes may require more conservative harvests to enhance female survival if population stability or increase is to be realized. © 2014 The Wildlife Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in selected haematological and biochemical parameters during the laying period were monitored in pheasant hens kept in a cage system. Thermal cauterization of one-third of the upper part of the beak was performed before the birds were placed in the cage at the beginning of the laying period. Randomly selected pheasant hens were sampled for haematological and biochemical analysis at the beginning of the laying period, and the same hens were subsequently sampled after 6 and 12 weeks of the laying period. The results showed significant changes in the monitored haematological and biochemical parameters during egg laying. At the time when laying capacity approached a maximum, a fall was seen (P<0.05) in haematocrit, haemoglobin, erythrocytes and plasma glucose values, whereas leukocytes, lymphocytes, basophils and plasma uric acid exhibited an increase (P<0.05). At the end of the laying period, a higher (P<0.05) count of leukocytes, lymphocytes, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes, plasma alanine aminotransferase, uric acid, lactate and calcium concentrations were seen, whereas for haematocrit, heterophil to lymphocyte ratio, plasma total protein, and glucose lower (P<0.05) values were recorded in comparison with the values of the given indicators at the beginning of the laying period. The results determined provide new information about the dynamics of selected haematological and biochemical indicators in clinically healthy common pheasant layers during the course of the laying period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was conducted on game pheasants (Phasianus colchicus L.). Birds were kept in confinement housing and fed ad libitum complete commercial diets for meat pheasants. At 12 and 17 weeks of rearing, 12 birds each were taken for slaughter. After determination of muscle pH15, the carcasses were dissected into saleable cuts. Following dissection, breast muscles were sampled to determine water holding capacity, tenderness, sensory properties, colour parameters, total pigment content and mineral content, and leg muscles to determine water holding capacity and sensory properties. At the age of 17 weeks, male and female pheasants had significantly higher body weight and carcass weight, and non-significantly lower dressing percentage compared to birds reared to 12 weeks of age. Regardless of slaughter date, males were characterized by significantly lower body weight and carcass weight compared to females. The carcasses of older birds contained more neck and breast (significantly in females) and significantly fewer wings. The sex of birds had a significant effect on carcass leg percentage in 12-weeks-old pheasants and on carcass breast percentage in 17-weeks-old birds, the values of which were greater in females. With the advancing age, the proportion of skin from female breasts and the proportion of skin from male legs increased significantly, the proportion of leg bones decreased significantly in females, breast muscle tenderness evaluated by sensory analysis improved significantly in males, and taste intensity of breast muscles and juiciness of leg muscles deteriorated in females. The breast muscles of older males were found to contain more magnesium and iron, and less zinc, while a significant reduction in the amounts of sodium and zinc was found in females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]