Vol . 9, No. 7 
Page 2 
Examination of the above data shows that in preferred nesting cover (hay, 
brome - alfalfa, strip cover), the temperature departs only slightly from the free 
air temperature, and the relative humidity is appreciably higher. In grasses and 
row crops, the temperature is markedly higher and the relative humidity nearly the 
same as in the free air. Apparently, these environmental factors play a role in 
selection of nesting sites by pheasants. 
2. Manipulation of Pheasant Habitat G. B. Joselyn 
In I 966 , the first search for pheasant nests on manipulated and on managed 
control piots along 9j miles of roadway on and near the Sibley Study Area started 
on June 20 and ended on June 27. Seventy pheasant nests were located on the plots, 
44 on seeded plots and 26 on managed control plots. During the first search in 
1965, 57 pheasant nests were located, 35 on seeded plots and 22 on managed control 
plots, while in 1964 the first search revealed 85 nests, 52 on seeded plots and 33 
on managed control. In 1963> 44 nests were found on seeded plots and 41 on managed 
control plots in three searches of the roadsides. Approximately 2$ more acres of 
seeded and managed control plots were searched in 1966 than in each of the preceding 
3 years. 
By July 15, 1963, fifteen of the pheasant nests established on seeded plots 
had hatched, with six hatched on managed control plots (Table 2). This compares 
with seven nests hatched on seeded and two hatched on managed control plots on the 
same date in 1964 and with 10 hatched on seeded and five on managed control on this 
date in 1965- This year, on July 15, both types of roadsides had hatched nearly 
the same number of nests (8 on seeded and 7 on managed control); when active nests 
are taken into account, each type of plot has a potential for producing 10 
successful nests, based on the findings of the first search of the roadsides. The 
greatest number of successful nests produced in 1 year on managed control plots 
was eight in I 965 , and in all 3 preceding years seeded roadsides produced approxi¬ 
mately twice as many hatched nests as did managed control roadsides. However, the 
data so far collected this year indicate that successful nest production on managed 
control roadsides may equal that on seeded roadsides. The second search of the 
roadsides will be conducted during the last week of July. 
Tab'e 2. Status of pheasant nests on seeded and on managed control roadside plots 
along 9 ^ miles of roadway on and near the Sibley Study Area, July 15, 1963, 1964, 
1965 , and 1966 . 
Status of 
Nes ts 
Number 
of Nests 
Seeded 
Plots 
Managed Control 
Plots 
1963 
1964 
1965 
1966 
1963 
1964 
1965 
1966 
Hatched 
15 
7 
10 
8 
6 
2 
5 
7 
Active 
0 
0 
0 
2 
0 
0 
1 
3 
Abandoned 
and/or 
Destroyed* 
25 
45 
25 
34 
34 
31 
16 
16 
Total 
40 
52 
35 
44 
40 
33 
22 
26 
Includes nests abandoned but not destroyed. 
