506 



ARTIFICIAL PROPAGATION OF GROUSE 



large number of birds to settle in the immediate locality. 



Once liberated, most grouse will wander until they find suitable sections of the covert not 

 currently occupied by others and then set up their own territory. They seldom seem to wan- 

 der far for the rest of their lives. A number of birds thus liberated and later weighed several 

 times were found to have lost from ten to 50 grams before adapting themselves to wild foods. 

 Providing they are in proper condition, however, this loss is seldom serious. 



Care must be used to make certain that hand-raised birds can fly well. All broken primaries 

 should be pulled out to allow for their prompt replacement. 



Marking for Identification 



It is best to release only banded birds unless there are no native grouse present. Size #9 

 aluminum leg bands are seldom lost if placed on birds over six weeks of age. Aluminum wing 

 bands carefully attached to the inner webb in the bend where the humerus, the radius and 

 the ulna meet, are also quite satisfactory when subsequent sight records of occurrence are 

 not required. Where the birds are to be followed, tail marking* with brightly colored chicken 

 feathers is also recommended as a distinct aid to future identification. But they are, of course, 

 lost when the old rectrices are molted, not later than the following Julv or August. 



What Determines Survival 



Assuming that grouse are placed in suitable habitats, certain other considerations exercise 

 a strong, though often little recognized, influence upon their subsequent survival. Notable 

 among these are the source and experience of the birds, their age and their physical condition 

 upon liberation. Success in dodging enemies, in finding food and shelter, in nesting and in 

 raising a brood depends largely upon these points. Of course the inherent adaptability of 

 the bird to new surroundings is also important. 



Source and Experience 



The first of these points, the source and experience of birds destined for liberation, is often 

 difficult to control. Few birds ar*^ for sale and there are many who would buy them. It is 

 almost axiomatic that the success of any colonizing effort depends in part upon the degree 

 of similarity between the new habitat and the one from which the birds were taken. Thou- 

 sands of dollars have been wasted in introducing southern quail into northern areas to which 

 (hey were little adapted. Even though grouse may be a more versatile species in this re- 

 spect, the chances of survival in a new habitat arc closclv tied in with tlicir ]irovious expe- 

 riences. 



It is for this reason that hand-raised adults set.n to encounter consideraiil<' difficulty in 

 making good wlicii lilicrati-d. Once they have grown up in association with man. many 



* Sec A|iprniUx. p. 717. 



