Upland Game Birds and other Land Bird Species Common to Texas

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Upland Game Birds and other Land Bird Species Common to Texas

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Title: Upland Game Birds and other Land Bird Species Common to Texas

1
Upland Game Birds and other Land Bird Species
Common to Texas

Dr. Doug Ullrich
This presentation follows The Upland Game Bird
Management Handbook for Texas Landowners
http//www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/m
edia/pwd_rp_w7000_1558.pdf
For detailed information on birds see
www.allaboutbirds.org

2
Texas Game Birds

Northern Bobwhite Quail
Scaled Quail
Gambels Quail
Montezuma Quail
Eastern Wild Turkey
Rio Grande Wild Turkey
Lesser Prairie Chicken
Plain Chachalaca
Ring-Neck Pheasant

3
Bobwhite Quail Colinus virginianus (pg 5)

Post popular and abundant quail in Texas
Adults-10 to 11 inches in length
Wingspan-14 to 15 inches
Weight-5 to 6 ounces
Habitat mixed brush
grasslands
Range most of Texas

4
Bobwhite Quail

Wide-ranging
Prefers abandoned farms fields, brushy cover
Widely hunted
Life expectancy gt1 year

5
Mating

Usually form a weak pairing bond
Hens not always faithful to roosters and vice
versa.
Rooster or Hen can incubate eggs-not shared
The parent not incubating will leave the nest in
search of another mate
Hens can nest up to three times

6
Nesting

Begins about 2 weeks after pairing and may last
until August
Most nesting occurs through May and early June
About 12-15 eggs per clutch
Incubation about 21-23 days

7
Nesting Cont

Young leave nest as soon as down dries and after
a couple weeks they began to fly around
Quail mature from 14-16 weeks of age and stay in
coveys until April when they pair off for mating

8
Mortality Rate

High Mortality Rate
70-80 percent turnover annually is not uncommon
Causes-food shortage, cold, weather, predators,
disease
Fire ants have been blamed for high mortality
rates
Life span 4-5 yrs but expectancy is less than 1

9
Habitat Requirements

Food, Cover and Space
Food-about 15 animal matter and 85 plant
matter
Predominantly insects-beetles, weevils,
caterpillars, and crickets
Young feed exclusively on insects

10
Food Cont

Plant matter
Seeds, fruits, but some green vegetation is
consumed.
Smooth, hard seed-croton, ragweed, and partridge
pea
Agricultural crops such as corn, grain sorghum,
legumes, soybeans, and other small grains

11
Cover

Edge animals and also prefer early stage
vegetation
They occupy idle fields, open woodland, crop
fields that have weedy edges, and some pastures
Necessary requirements-loafing, escape, and
protective cover near dusting and feeding areas

12
Cover cont.

Resting cover utilized in the day periodically
between feeding
Low growing woody plants provide resting cover
away from predators such as Hawks and need not be
more than 200 to 300 feet apart
Nest location is near edge of rough grass
Fence rows are favorites amongst quail
Problem for quail

13
Cover cont

Escape cover-shrub thickets needed on about every
15 acres
Roosting cover-needs too provide warmth at ground
level but not restrict flight
Birds roost in a circle, their heads look
outwards and tails are positioned inward

14
Water

Water is typically not a factor when dealing with
quail management
Usually obtain water through food or dew on
plants
However, some present day managers are
constructing watersheds or trickle systems to
attract soft bodied insects for quail consumption

15
Space

The range of a covey is generally confined to ¼
square mile and seldom exceeds a full square
mile.
The closer together Food, Cover, and Water the
smaller the home range
Proper management can result in maximum carrying
capacities of gt3 per acre

16
Management-Habitat

Needs can be met with range management practices
Grazing management will likely be need to
maintain low growing weeds and brush
Brush management must be used as well because
quail are not adapted to dense stands of brush
Burning is one possible answer to this problem
and will also promote new growth

17
Management-Population

Regardless of hunted or non hunted lands, theses
areas still display the same mortality rate of
70-80
These numbers fluctuate widely due to the simple
fact that quail are so sensitive to their
environment
Hunting of these birds takes place to cull
surplus birds that would otherwise be lost
during the cold winter season

18
Non-biological Practices

Leave crop residue on surface rather than
disking, will allows the plants to leave grain on
the surface during the fall and winter when food
for quail is scarce
Delay mowing around the edges of fields until mid
summer to prevent nest disturbance
Leave fence row, with only occasional thinning
Prescribe Burning-promote new growth

19
Scaled Quail Callipepla Squamata

Common names-Blue Quail and Cotton top
Two sub species in Texas-Arizona form and the
Chestnut-bellied
Arizona form inhabits-Trans-Pecos, West Central,
and Panhandle
Chestnut form inhabits-South Texas
Coloration and markings similar but Chestnut is
darker with a chestnut colored belly patch, and
Scaled quail are only slightly larger than bob
whites

20
Scaled Quail / Blue Quail Callipepla squamata

Habitat Western 1/3rd of Texas
Known to run from danger
Different flight patterns than Bobwhite Quail

21
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22
Habitat for Scaled Quail

Dry brushy rangelands-they need open space to run
quickly
Seldom fly unless pressured
Nest in clumps of grass or bushes
Clutch size of about 12
Incubation period is about 21 days
Incubation fluctuates due to rainfall

23
Food

Mostly seeds, but will eat insects
Croton, mesquite, bristle grass, and millets
Frequently eat grass hoppers, beetles, and other
insects of similar form
Available water is limiting factor

24
Scaled Quail Management

Occur in arid rangelands of Texas with limited
livestock carrying capacities
Prescribed burning to control junipers
Disking, food plots, and cover are not typically
constructed for these birds due to unreliable
rainfall
These quail are adapted to natural rangelands

25
Gambels Quail Callipepla gambelii

Homeland-Extreme West Texas
Dry desert-like shrub lands
Black belly patch
Black face bordered with white strips
Teardrop-shaped topknot near front of the head
Has a three slurred call

26
Gambels Quail Callipepla gambelii
27
Gambels Quail Callipepla gambelii

Average length is 11 inches with a wingspan of
14-16 inches.
Diet consists primarily of plant matter seeds.
Primarily move about by walking, and can move
surprisingly fast through brush and undergrowth.

28
Gambels Quail Callipepla gambelii

They are a non-migratory species and are rarely
seen in flight.
Any flight is usually short and explosive, with
many rapid wingbeats followed by a slow glide to
the ground.
These birds have relatively short, rounded wings
and long, featherless legs.

29
Gambels Quail Callipepla gambelii

In the late summer, fall and winter, the adults
and immature young congregate into coveys of many
birds.
In the spring, they pair off for mating and
become very aggressive toward other pairs.
Chicks more insectivorous than adults and
gradually consume more plant matter as they
mature.

30
Gambels Quail Callipepla gambelii

Monogamous and rarely breed in colonies.
Female typically lays 10-15 eggs in a simple
scrape concealed in vegetation, often at the base
of a rock or tree.
Incubation lasts from 21-24 days, usually
performed by the female and rarely by the male.

31
Gambels Quail Callipepla gambelii

Chicks are precocial leaving the nest within
hours of hatching.
Precocial - young are relatively mature and
mobile from the moment of birth or hatching.

Female
Male
32
Montezuma Quail or Mearns Cytonyx Montezuma

No open hunting season
Also called the Montezuma quail
Lives in far West Texas
Striking harlequin / clowns face color
pattern

33
Montezuma Quail or Mearns Cytonyx Montezuma

Sometimes confused with the African Harlequin
Nesting does not start till July or August, the
season of "monsoon" rains throughout its range.
The long delay between pairing and nesting is
unusual for quails.

34
Montezuma Quail or Mearns Cytonyx Montezuma

The nest is also unusual a grass dome with one
entrance, more elaborate than most nests in the
family.
The clutch comprises about 11 eggs (ranging from
6 to 12), which are "whitish or chalky
Incubation lasts about 25 days (two days longer
than that of most American quail).

35
Turkey

Two main subspecies found in Texas
Eastern Turkey
Rio Grande Turkey

36
Eastern Wild Turkey Melegaris galloavo silvestris

Found in deciduous or pine forests of east Texas
Range is expanding with TPWD and Wild Turkey
Federation efforts

37
Rio Grande Turkey Meleagris gallopavo intermedia

Lighter color than Easter Turkey
Inhabits riparian areas and mesquite and scrub
oak forests
Widely range across Texas except East Texas and
far West texas

38
Turkey - Description

Largest game bird native to US forests
Adapt to running and flying
They do not fly very long distances
Rio Grande is most abundant and largely
distributed, occupying a 400 mile east to west
band in the central part of Texas
The Eastern Wild Turkey lives in humid forests of
east Texas

39
Turkey - History

Wild Turkeys were found every before the European
immigrants settled in the states
Thorough land clearing and extensive hunting
almost eradicated these birds from the eastern
forests in the early 1900s
Restoration programs within the last 10 years are
on the rise and the future looks bright for the
Turkey

40
Turkey - Characteristics

Large, long-legged bird, but trimmer than the
domestic turkey
Gobblers (adult males) weigh between 12 and 20
pounds and have spurs on their legs, beards, and
dark iridescent plumage on their breast.
Hens (Females) weigh anywhere from 8-12 pounds
and are less iridescent. They may have a smaller
beard or may not have one at all

41
Turkey - Characteristics cont

Prefer walking rather than flying
Can run up to 15 mph and can fly up to 40 mph if
necessary
Tracks
Gobblers are larger than hens
Droppings-gobblers are larger and more elongated
Hens droppings are spiral and resemble popcorn

42
Turkey - Mating Habits

Turkey are promiscuous
Mating begins in the spring, but gobbler does not
establish a strict territory, but drives other
Toms out of his territory
Gobblers strut, to announce their local
superiority and simultaneously attracting his
harem (3-10 hens) per gobbler.
Each female breeds only once each spring, and
will isolate her self from to tend to her clutch

43
Turkey - Nests

Nests are constructed on the ground and are made
of leaves, straws, and grass -- Built on top of
tall grasses and vegetation
Clutch is 8-26 eggs and takes 28 days of
incubation for hatching -- If interrupted
re-nesting is almost always unsuccessful
Once all are hatched, they are led away by the
hen
Poults begin roosting in trees at just two weeks
and can fly at just 10 days
Predation is high during this period

44
Turkey Habitat Needs

Turkeys are opportunistic feeders
In spring main food sources are green grasses,
forbs, buds, flowers, seed and insects
Poult diets during the first two weeks is 90
insects
Fall and Winter feeds include seed, green
grasses, forb shoots, acorns, and agricultural
crops

45
Turkey - Cover

Roosting sites require mature timber and shelter
from bad weather
Escape Cover-big brush, timer stands, dense
grassy fields, and thickets
Ideal cover is a diversity of mixed timber and
openings.
Turkeys need the timber for roosting and to
conceal AND openings for feeding are also needed.

46
Turkey - Water

Turkey must have water daily, but for short terms
can obtain water from plants and insects.
Prefer to roost near water sources
Proper nesting space should have running water
within 400 feet of the nest

47
Turkey - Space

The yearly range of Turkey is usually 8-10 miles,
from winter roost sites to summer nesting sites
(about 20,000 acres)
Birds are extremely sensitive to human
disturbances, and they should not be hunted or
tampered with within a quarter mile of their
roost or nest

48
Turkey - Habitat Management

The biggest problem with Turkey is that they move
around so much.
Landowners can make conditions favorable so that
turkey are more likely to come to the area and
stay there longer
Range characteristics such as size, shape, plant
species composition and density affect turkey
habitat

49
Turkey - Habitat Management cont

Maintaining openings will enhance turkey habitat.
This area needs to contain 10-50 percent openings
scattered around.
These need to be less than 20 acres and should be
shaped for maximum edge effect to limit long
movements of hens with broods

50
Habitat - Management Cont

Supplemental food planting and watering sites
enhance turkey habitat.
Plantings need to simulate natural food in order
to draw Turkeys in to a foreign area
Legume planting is great for birds in the winter
and spring, and small grain crops in the summer

51
Turkey - Non-biological Practices

Several soil and water conservation practices
that can benefit Turkey
Proper Grazing
Brush Management
Prescribed Burning
Protecting certain trees and shrubs

52
Lesser Prairie Chicken Tympanuchus pallidicinctus

Upland, grassland-nesting bird found in Kansas,
Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas.
Best know for courtship displays and
gobblinggrounds
Highly social animal

53
Lesser Prairie Chicken
54
Lesser Prairie Chicken - Habitat

Native rangeland in different stages of plant
succession with a diversity of native, short- to
mid-height grasses and forbs interspersed with
low-growing shrubby cover
Sand sagebrush communities dominated by sand
dropseed side oats grama, little bluestem and
shinnery oak make up the most preferred habitat

55
Lesser Prairie Chicken

Display grounds, or leks, are established in open
areas of low-growing vegetation and generally are
located within or close to grassland nesting
cover.
Adequate cover is among the greatest factors
affecting lesser prairie-chicken populations, and
the continued loss of shrub/grassland habitat
remains the greatest threat to the lesser prairie
chickens future.
See http//www.youtube.com/watch?vJHuYt_Wx9yQ

56
Lesser Prairie Chicken

Diet consists of insects, seeds, and leaves,
catkins, and buds of forbs (broad-leaved plants)
and cultivated crops.
Juveniles less than 10 weeks old feed primarily
on insects such as short-and long-horned
grasshoppers and beetles
Leafhoppers and other smaller insects are eaten
in the initial weeks following hatching.

57
Lesser Prairie Chicken

Insects make up more than half of the spring and
summer diet of adult lesser prairie-chickens.
Sand sage leaves and buds and various forbs are
consumed in spring and summer as well.
Seeds are primary foods in autumn, supplemented
with vegetative matter and insects.
Shinnery oak acorns, sage leaves, wild buckwheat,
rye and seeds from native wild plants, fruits,
and flowers are eaten in winter months.
Corn, oats, wheat, rye, grain sorghum, and other
small grain crops left as waste grain after
harvest, or left standing as a food plot.

58
Plain Chachalaca Ortalia vetula

Live in deep South Texas-near Rio Grande River
Large chicken-like, dark greenish to brown bird
Light pink skin on throat
Long green tail
Lives in thickets, or dense vegetation

59
Chachalaca
60
Ring-necked Pheasant Phasianus colchicus

Chicken-like bird
Weighs 2-3 pounds
Males plumage is bright browns, gold colorss,
buffs, blues, and blacks with a greenish-purple
iridescence around the head and neck and bright
red wattles and eye patch,
Male has distinctive white ring around neck
Tail-long sweeping and pointed

61
Ring-necked Pheasant
62
Ring-necked Pheasant - History

Ancestry in the U.S. is a mixture of Chinese,
Korean, and Manchurian birds
Exotic, introduced into in the 1790s
Early introductions were unsuccessful
First succeeded in Oregon in 1881 and made its
way south in 1939 to the Texas Panhandle and to
the Texas Gulf Coast in the 1970s

63
Establishments

These birds have established in croplands where
grain crops are grown-sorghum, corn, and other
small grains
Well adapted to irrigated crops

64
Ring-necked Pheasant - Breeding

The mating season in the state of Texas occurs in
April with the peak hatching season in generally
mid June
Clutch sizes vary between 12-15 eggs and
incubation roughly requires 23 days
Hens produce only one brood per year, but may
re-nest if eggs get destroyed early
Do not form a pair bond, the males will establish
territories

65
Breeding cont

65-75 of fall population will not live to see
the hunting season the following year
Playas and small grains are crucial for the
nesting hens
Alfalfa is a favorite for nesting hens, but they
will make do with what is available
Wheat is a disadvantage because harvest time
conflicts with nesting
Planting alfalfa grass mixtures in 10 acre
segments within 200 yards of a playa is
beneficial

66
Ring-necked Pheasant Habitat Requirements

Pheasants are primarily seed eaters
Corn, sorghum, wheat, barley, and soybeans make
up a large percentage of a pheasants diet
Will feed on insects when they are available and
seeds are scarce
Chicks diet consist largely of insects
Gravel and Calcium-snail shells-are vital during
breeding and egg laying

67
Ring-necked Pheasant - Cover

Require several cover types
Loafing cover, travel lanes, roosting cover,
nesting cover, and winter cover
Nesting and winter cover are the most crucial
Need protection from the elements in the harsh
winter months
Weeds, Fencerows, and Windbreaks provide this
structural cover

68
Ring-necked Pheasant Water

Water is not crucial when looking at a management
perspective
Birds eat soft bodied, water containing insects
Usually associated with plenty of irrigated
croplands to meet their water requirements

69
Ring-necked Pheasant - Space

Free roaming bird
If there is adequate food and cover throughout
the year, this birds have been known to stay
within less than one square mile.
This will vary from season to season depending
on rainfall and irrigation

70
Pheasant - Management

After the harvest of grain crops these birds are
left with a sufficient food source on the ground
to last a population through the winter months
This only holds true if waste grains are not
plowed under but left on the soil after harvest

71
Ring-necked Pheasant Population

A good nesting year with good weather conditions
will typically produce 8-10 chicks
75 of the fall population will not make it
through one year.
Starvation, predation, accidents, and winter
conditions will most likely account for this
turnover
Hunting makes little or no impact on this
mortality rate, hunters are harvest birds that
would be culled

72
Migratory Non Waterfowl Game Birds

Mourning Dove
White-Winged Dove
White-Tipped (White-fronted)
Rock Doves (Pigeons)
American Woodcock

73
Mourning Dove

Pigeon-like bird
Varies from 11-13 inches in length
Weighs three and a half to five ounces
Wings bordered with white spots and are five and
a half to seven inches long.
Long neck and small head

74
Mourning Dove
75
Description

Males more brightly colored
Difficult to distinguish between the sexes
Bare skin around the eyes is bluish, and the iris
is dark brown
Slender bill, small and black
Legs and feet are red
Females and juveniles are slightly smaller and
have duller colors

76
Characteristics

Mourning Dove is a native species
Has the largest range of all North Americas game
birds, from Canada to the Bahamas.
Usually winters in California to Georgia, south
to Panama, and can be in Alaska and Greenland in
the summer

77
Migration

Start migrating in September, after nesting is
completed and possibly October along the Gulf
Coast
Migration is a leisurely process
Roost at night in trees and rest in the middle of
the day
Most flying occurs early morning and late
afternoon
Average 15 miles a day and migration is normally
completed by December

78
Territory

Dove do not have an exact territory, except when
they are nesting
Their roosting cover and availability of food
determine their range
Move constantly in search of food

79
Mating

Mourning Dove are monogamous and both the female
and male will incubate the eggs
In the north mating will occur in January and
February and in the north as late as March and
April
The males selects nest site and protects it by
cooing, flying and pecking
The pressure by other males can be intense

80
Nesting

Dove will pair off to nest, but will gather in
flocks after nesting
Sometimes groups of 20 will migrate together, but
this is often subject to change along the way
There appears to be no social conflict between
the sexes and juveniles at this point

81
Attraction

Dove females are attracted to males by the cooing
that the males produce
This main cooing courtship shown by males and
it most heard at dawn and late afternoon
The female can coo too, but the coos are very
quite and seldom heard

82
Nesting

The male always picks the nesting site and will
bring twigs and branches to compete the nest once
he finds a companion
The female will perform the construction of the
nest
The first egg is laid, followed the second one
two days later
Eggs are elliptical-oval, pure white, and are
between 21millimeters and 28 millimeters
Usually two to five periods of nesting per pair.

83
Nest cont.

Nest are constructed in trees but will not be
used until there are leaves in the tree
In some circumstances such as lack of trees or
crowding, doves are forced to nest on the ground
Most nest are within 5-25 ft off the ground
Same sites are used year after year, and also the
same location in the tree is typically used
May also use the nest of other birds

84
Hatching

Incubation last 14-15 days
Both sexes participate
Male sits during daytime and female at night
Dove are altricial (young are helpless at
hatching and require parental care for a while)
Glandular secretion (pigeon milk) from both
parent crop-only food young receive while in the
nest

85
Raising Broods

The broods are raised about a month
Within a week of laying nest, parents either lay
another clutch or start their migration
Juveniles continue to grow and complete
feathering after a couple of weeks after leaving
the nest
After this they gather in flocks and start
migrate, generally before the mature birds, and
they do not breed the first year

86
Mortality

Hunting of dove generally takes about 30-35 of
the population annually
There is also predation, accidents, starvation,
disease, and parasites
Most predation is accounted for in the nesting
stage

87
Habitat Requirements

Diet consist of seeds of native grasses,
cultivated grains, and forbs-croton and sunflower
Insects are a small portion of the diet
Gravel or some form of Grit is needed for
digestion to break down food

88
Cover

One of the most adaptable species because of its
wide home range
Do not inhabit-forest, plains, marshes or
prairies
Doves prefer to feed on ground vegetation is
sparse versus dense grasses
Agricultural fields and brush and trees are ideal
cover for birds, even urban areas

89
Water

Water is crucial for birds during the nesting
season and you will often find them close to a
water source, although they can obtain some water
from plants
Besides the nesting period - water is seldom a
limiting factor due to the fact that these birds
seem to always be on the move find new places

90
Dove Management

It is hard to manage Dove because they are
migratory birds that are always on the move, but
areas can be made desirable in order to attract
them
Dove will not feed in dense grasses
Disking is great because it encourages natural
weeds to grow
Planting wheat and sunflower are beneficial

91
Population

Hunting is one of the biggest population controls
on these birds
If mortality is 50 or less, then next years
breeding population will increase
If mortality is 70 or more, it will decrease
Texas Parks and Wildlife monitors bird numbers
and sets regulations for each hunting year

92
White-winged Dove

Similar in appearance to the Mourning Dove
Large white wing-bands
Rounded, white-cornered tail

93
White-winged dove

Important game bird in the Lower Rio Grand Valley
Feeding habitats similar to morning dove
Prefer older more established residential
neighborhoods with large live oak, pecans and
ashe trees
Range and numbers are increasing

94
White-winged Dove Habitat and Food

Prefer large shade trees
Expanding range into urban areas
Food similar to Mourning Dove
Will eat nectar, pollen and cactus fruits
Will ingest small stones for digestion
Prefers snail shells or bone fragments which
provide calcium

95
Nesting

Both sexes build nest
Female selects nesting site often nesting in
groups with other White-wings
Male brings materials for nest building and
assists female in building process

96
Behaviors

Will lure predators away from nest with broken
wing
Largely gregarious and move in groups
May be effected by pesticide residues or
contamination from fungal toxins in grain

97
White-Tipped Doves (White-fronted)