In the Secret Garden, Series 1, Episode 3, pheasants were portrayed as the enemy of the countryside, wreaking havoc on habitats and species, with the assertion that they are ‘eating vast numbers of insects, reptiles and amphibians every day’. No evidence for this serious claim was given, nor was there any acknowledgement of the positive impact that pheasants and their management can have on Britain’s biodiversity. I would expect the BBC to be more impartial and informative in its documentary making.
To summarize the science on this issue, measurable impacts of released gamebirds on insects and other invertebrates are largely confined to release pens and other high density congregation areas. Where birds are well dispersed, even at moderate densities, there is little evidence of significant impacts on invertebrates. There is currently no robust evidence available to accept or reject the idea that released gamebirds have a negative impact on amphibians or reptiles in the UK. That said, it is an active and important area of research.
Conversely, we do have evidence of the positive impact of responsible gamebird management. Habitats managed for gamebirds such as pheasants, alongside other aspects of sustainable game management, have proven benefits for insects and wider wildlife. We acknowledge that poor management practices can of course have detrimental impacts on wildlife, but well-managed releasing will minimise local risks while delivering net biodiversity gains across farmland and woodland landscapes.
Peer-reviewed science shows that woodlands actively managed for pheasants support more songbirds and butterflies, that game cover crops in farmland landscapes produce higher numbers of songbirds in winter and the breeding season, and that predation management to protect gamebirds benefits many ground-nesting birds. Data from the national Big Farmland Bird Count indicate that farms with a shoot can support up to 50% more birds in late winter.
More generally, negative ecological impacts tend to operate at the very local level, whilst positive impacts tend to operate at the landscape level, supporting nature recovery. We face a biodiversity crisis in Britain and we risk throwing the baby out with the bath water if pheasants are portrayed in the national media solely in a negative light, rather than recognising that when well managed through habitat provision they can be a force for good for nature conservation.
Director of Advisory, Education & Gamebird Policy
Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust