JT»fl 



CIRCULAR No. 96 



NOVEMBER, 1929 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 WASHINGTON, D. C. 



GAME BIRDS SUITABLE FOR NATURALIZING IN 



THE UNITED STATES x T^7| 



By W. L. McAtee, Senior Biologist, in Charge, Division, of Food E&MtiL D 

 Research, Bureau of Biological Survey 



! *0EC171929 ■•'* 



CONTENTS . . , ,. ^ 



Page 

 Species recommended— Continued. _ 



Hungarian f ai i urlflp,, -a ^i_—4i~ ~" 



Introduction - 



Possible dangers from importations 



Success in naturalizing exotic game birds 



Sources of additional importations 



Species recommended 



Reeves's phesant 



Golden and Lady Amherst pheasants __. 



Japanese pheasant 



Indian peafowl 



Brown eared pheasant 



Elliot's pheasant 



Cheer pheasant 



Other pheasants 



Page 

 l 

 2 

 3 

 5 



12 

 13 

 14 

 14 

 14 

 15 

 15 

 16 

 16 



Red 



Guinea fowls 



Mexican quail 



American species 



Bustards 



Sand grouse 



Species considered undesirable 



Habitats for the species recommended 



Suggestions as to methods of naturalizing 

 game birds 



INTRODUCTION 



Sportsmen share the admiration of nature students for native game 

 birds and will cooperate to the fullest extent in preventing their 

 extermination, but they see the necessity for using exotic species also 

 if the game supply is to be maintained or increased. Such increase 

 is widely demanded and will continue to be demanded, and to effect 

 it necessitates the fostering of birds that respond most profitably to 

 game-propagation methods. Where native game birds are abundant 

 there is little or no need to plant exotic species; but where native 

 species do not supply the demand, foreign game birds are being intro- 

 duced. Let the native game birds enjoy the protection of game sanc- 

 tuaries as numerous and extensive as can be afforded, but on those 

 parts of our domain where public shooting is practiced and its con- 

 tinuance is desired, the practical necessities of the situation require 

 the use of species of game birds that will produce the best results, 

 regardless of their origin. 



In considering possible sources of game birds for acclimatization 

 in the United States, it is natural for one to turn first to Europe and 

 Asia, not only because of similarity of climate, but also because 

 Eurasian stock has so frequently proved its hardiness and adapta- 

 bility. Reflect upon the origin of the domesticated animals and cul- 

 tivated plants. Almost all are of Old- World stock — the horse, the 

 cow, the pig, all poultry except the turkey ; wheat, oats, barley, rye, 



i The history of the introduction of game birds into the United States is given in the 

 following publication : Phillips, J. C, wild birds introduced or transplanted in 

 North America. U. S. Dept. Agr. Tech. Bui. 61, 64 p. 1928. 



67127°— 29 1 * 



