Releasing gamebirds for sport in the UK: are there lessons for threatened species conservation?

Abstract

The common or ring-necked pheasant Phasianus colchicus is of economic importance for game shooting in the U.K., but the management associated with it can also have important application to the conservation of threatened species world-wide. The basic principles of a gamebird rearing and release programme are very similar regardless of whether it is part of a commercial operation for sport or a reintroduction programme for the conservation of a threatened species. In the commercial system many of the problems associated with releasing have been identified and methods of solving them tested. These include the design of release pens, predator deterrents and disease prevention. Transference of knowledge from one releasing system to another could improve threatened species conservation and avoid costly mistakes in re-introduction programmes. This paper provides an overview of pheasant releasing in the U.K, highlighting important aspects and citing sources of information.