EVALUATING THE EFFICACY OF NON-TRADITIONAL COMMON QUAIL COUNT METHOD IN ARMENIA.

Despite Common Quail Coturnix coturnix is one of the main game species in Armenia, it is very difficult to generate its reliable population estimate due to methodological constraints and a range of biological characteristics of the species. The current research evaluated the efficiency of a newly proposed non-traditional census technique in combination with other traditional count methods of Common Quail which were tested in the post-breeding period of 2020. This combined approach allowed to estimate a close-toabsolute total population number of Common Quail and the number of birds to be harvested during the hunting season in Armenia. Finally, the research recommends that the Quail survey must be carried out each year, commence in early Spring and finish by the opening of the hunting season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]