Upland Game Birds

An Illustrated Guide to $1.00 UPLAND GAME BIRDS Upland Game Birds by Richard E. McCabe Federal Cartridge Company 900 Ehlen Drive Anoka, MN 55303 3 © 1971, 1992, 2005 Federal Cartridge Company SPECIES PAGE Contents 4 Introduction 5 -6 Ring-necked Pheasant 7 Chuckar 8 Hungarian Partridge 9 Ruffed Grouse 10 Spruce Grouse 11 Greater Prairie-chicken 12 Sharp-tailed Grouse 13 Greater Sage-grouse 14 Gunnison Sage-grouse 15 Blue Grouse 16 Willow Ptarmigan 17 Rock Ptarmigan 18 White-tailed Ptarmigan 19 Northern Bobwhite 20 Scaled Quail 21 California Quail 22 Gambel’s Quail 23 Mountain Quail 24 Montezuma Quail 25 Mourning Dove 26 White-winged Dove 27 Band-tailed Pigeon 28 American Woodcock 29 Wild Turkey 30 Special upland game bird characteristics 31 Cover photo: Ring-necked Pheasant Tom J. Ulrich 4 Introduction Long before the time of Columbus, altered the habitats—the sources of Native Americans were very familiar food, water, shelter and space—of with upland game birds. They mod- upland game birds. Consequently, eled dramatic dances after some of their numbers changed as well. Many the birds’ colorful courtship displays. birds thrived as never before with They mimicked the calls of some of early regrowth of vegetation follow- the birds for their own communica- ing disturbance by fire, plow and axe. tion purposes. They hunted most for Some declined by the elimination of food and some for decorative feathers. nesting cover and food. A few with They venerated some in song, mythol- highly ogy, religious ceremonies and special specialized habitats became isolated. namesake societies and clans. And several simply disappeared, When European and Asian explor- including the passenger pigeon. ers and settlers pressed into the North Other upland game birds were American interior, they were awed imported from Eurasia. This was risky by the diversity, numbers, behav- business, but some—such as the ring- iors, sounds and edibility of upland necked pheasant, Hungarian partridge game. The birds became important and chukar—actually survived and subsistence fare, a highly marketable became well-established in certain commodity and, eventually, sources of areas and habitats without negative recreation. impact on native wildlife. And they were nearly everywhere Despite the proliferation of many in North America, from arid des- upland game bird populations (name- erts (scaled quail and white-winged ly, most prairie and woodland grouse, doves), to Arctic tundra (willow and along with mourning doves and bob- rock ptarmigan), to coniferous forest white quail) in the wake of settlement, (spruce grouse), to boggy swamp- unregulated killing in all seasons soon land (woodcock), to hardwood forest took a toll. Along with such declines (wild turkey), to forest edge (ruffed of habitats and numbers of other grouse), to western sagebrush coun- wildlife came alarm among the new try (sage-grouse), to Great Plains Americans about the increasing scar- grasslands (sharp-tailed grouse and city of wildlife generally. prairie-chickens), to grassy pinelands Through the actions and initiatives (bobwhite quail), to alpine meadows of concerned sportsmen emerged the (white-winged ptarmigan), and more. new discipline of wildlife science and Most spectacular in number was the management. That triggered harvest passenger pigeon, which occurred in regulations, land-management practic- migration flights of millions and mil- es more conducive to sustaining wild- lions. life and, most importantly, a sense With the influx of people from among citizens of the value of con- other continents, the pristine land- servation. People discovered that con- scape of North America was changed. servation of wildlife, such as upland Forests were cut and burned, prairies game birds, is a matter of conserving tilled, wetlands drained and grasslands and wisely managing the varied habi- pastured with livestock. So, too, were tats of those desirable species. 5 Today, human population growth, described as monogamous (a male sprawl and desires are eliminating breeds and remains with a female wildlife habitat at a torrid pace, until the young are fledged), polyg- mostly inadvertently and unwittingly. amous (a male or female may take Some upland game birds species once more than one mate) and promiscuous abundant and secure, and despite the (birds that come together merely to advances of scientific management breed, then leave to mate with others). and conservation ethics, now are in Third, of the upland game birds decline and perhaps in jeopardy of featured in this booklet, only the survival. Prairie-chicken and sage- Gunnison sage-grouse are not hunted grouse are examples. Habitat degrada- at the present time, although some of tion and loss, not overhunting, are the the other species are hunted only in causes. some jurisdictions. Besides the sage- Today, wildlife conservation means grouse, the species currently of great- more than preserving wildlands and est concern to hunter-conservationists regulating human activity. It means are the bobwhite quail, prairie-chicken accommodating a multitude of wild- and woodcock. To help conserve these life species by managing landscape and other upland species, contact your features and conditions to meet the state or provincial wildlife agency for various species’ habitat requirements. more information, or join a local or This is an increasingly complex task, national wildlife conservation organi- but it is essential, because where the zation that puts its staff time and ener- sights, sounds and antics of upland gy into actual conservation policies game birds are absent, North America and/or on-the-ground is less magnificent. programs. * * * * * * * Fourth, expert upland bird hunters Points to ponder: agree that the biggest obstacles to First, the word “game” comes from harvest success are: not enough off- the Greek work “gamos,” meaning season clay target shooting; not know- marriage or joining, such as a special ing the quarry’s habits; not keeping kindred relationship. In modern con- the head down on the gunstock when text, it refers to animals worthy of shooting; not being physically fit pursuit by hunters. It does not mean enough to handle the hunt rigors; or imply that the hunting of the ani- not staying alert and reading the land- mal is a game or something strictly scape for sign; not carrying the fire- for the amusement of the hunter. arm properly at port arms; not hunting Second, in the following species with a well-trained dog; and not using accounts, the birds’ mating habits are a shotgun that fits. 6 Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus Tom J. Ulrich number in the Willamette Valley of he “ringneck” is one of the most Oregon in the 1880s. It has been trans- widely distributed and popular located into nearly all rural lands in Tgame birds, because of its size, abun- the United States and southern Canada. dance, stealth, coloration, eruptive It has established wild populations and cackling flush, powerful flight, mainly in the corn and wheat belt and excellent taste. Also, it prefers to states but not at all in the Southeast. escape by running, so it makes great Its foods include waste grains, weed sport for hunting with dogs. Hens are seeds, acorns, insects, pine seeds, ber- not hunted except on game farms. ries, and occasionally snails and mice. Native to Asia, it is said to have been A polygamous breeder, ringnecks pro- introduced initially into California duce one brood per year, from nests of in the 1850s, but first established in 10 to 12 eggs. 7 Chukar Alectoris chukar Tom J. Ulrich native of Eurasia, the chukar, or is accompanied by a continuous kek “rock partridge” was introduced to kek kek kek kek chuKARR chuKARR Asouthwestern Canada and the western call that inspired its common name. United States in the 1930s. It occurs It, along with ring-necked pheasants mainly in flocks or coveys of as many and bobwhite quail, is one of the “big as 40 birds, and is notorious for elud- three” upland birds used by game ing or exhausting hunters by running farm operations. It eats small grains in steep mountainous terrain. The and seeds, and is attracted to watering chukar is best hunted with well-trained ponds, tanks and guzzlers. Mainly dogs, for both finding and retrieving. monogamous, this ground nester It has a characteristic Whittu alarm produces one brood per year, from call that can give away its location. a nest of 10 to 20 eggs. Its direct flight, with rapid wing beats, 8 Hungarian Partridge Perdix perdix Alan G. Nelson his native of Eurasia, also known of 15-25 birds in winter. Although it as the gray partridge, the “hun” prefers walking or running to flying, Twas first introduced (unsuccessfully) its flight usually begins with a loose to Virginia in 1899, then successfully covey flush, accompanied by a sharp in Oregon’s Willamette Valley a year Cut! Cut! Cut! vocalization, then later and successfully to a number rapid, whirring wing beats interrupted of other U.S. states and Canadian by gliding. This partridge consumes provinces by 1910. They particular- grasses, weeds, grain seeds and insects ly thrived on short and mixed-grass and, during summer in arid areas their prairies, and now are found mainly water source is dew. A monogamous on farmlands between the 40th and bird, the female hun produces a single 52nd parallels. The hun occurs in brood per year, from a nest of 5 to 20 family groups in summer and coveys eggs. 9 Ruffed Grouse Bonasa umbellus Tom J. Ulrich he ruffed grouse is a woodland commences with a walking, Kwit! edge dweller, found in early suc- Kwit! vocalization. Pounding wing Tcessional deciduous forest, mixed beats make the flush loud, exciting and deciduous/coniferous forest, alder occasionally unnerving. There are two thickets, aspen stands and retired morphs (feather colorations)—red and orchards. It is the celebrated drumming gray; gray is more common except in “pa’tridge” of New England, but not a the Northwest and Appalachian region.

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