Vo I . 9 , No. 7 
Page 3 
3. Factors Influencinq Distribution and Abundance of Pheasants W. L. Anderson 
Eighteen hen pheasants were collected during June 1966 from the state's better 
pheasant range, primarily Ford and Livingston counties, and were dissected to gain 
insight into the general physical condition and reproductive status of pheasants 
during the egg-incubat ing period. Most of these hens were found in hayfields after 
they had been killed or mangled by mowing machines. An average of 33-0 ruptured 
follicles was found in the ovaries of each of the 18 hens, thus indicating that the 
"average" hen pheasant in the better pheasant range laid 33 eggs before beginning 
to incubate. Such an accomplishment seems remarkable when it is considered that 
33 pheasant eggs collectively weigh about 950 grams, a weight equal to that of the 
hen's entire body. As hen pheasants typically incubate clutches of about 11 eggs 
(an average of 10.4 eggs was found in the nests of 13 of the collected hens), it 
appears that the "average" hen laid about 22 eggs, most of which presumably were 
deposited at random or in dump nests, before establishing a nest for incubation. 
In the Monthly Wildlife Research Letter, June, 1966, it was reported that the 
"average" hen pheasant in the state's better pheasant range began laying eggs about 
April 30, I 966 . This date was arrived at by allowing 1.3 days for each ruptured 
follicle found in the ovaries of 13 laying (but not incubating) hens collected 
during May. If the typical incubating hen laid an average of 33 eggs (requiring 
a 43-day period), as suggested by counts of ruptured follicles, and the incubation 
period for pheasants is 23 days, the peak of hatching should have occurred during 
the week of July 2-8 (April 30 + 43 days + 23 days). This tentatively suggests 
that the peak of hatching in 1 966 was about 3 weeks later than normal. 
4. Responses of 3obwh:tes to Habitat Manipu1 at ion J. A. Ellis 
The function of whistling by cock quail during the breeding season is not 
understood. However, whistling activity is generally thought to be a density- 
dependent characteristic of a population. For this reason, standardized counts 
of whistling cock quail are made annually throughout the range of the bobwhite. 
Counts of whistling cock quail have been made on the Dale Area since 1964 and 
on the Forbes Area since 1965- In l966, weekly counts were made from the first 
week of May until mid-July. The counts were made along standardized routes and 
were begun 15 minutes before sunrise. At each predetermined stop (12 stops on Dale 
and II stops on Forbes), the number of individual cocks and the number of bobwhite 
calls were recorded for a 2-minute period. 
Based on the weekly counts of whistling, the data suggested that little 
synchrony of whistling activity existed between the two areas although they are 
only 25 miles apart (Table 3)- The whistle count data for 1965 and I 966 indicated 
that the dates on which the maximum numbers of cocks were recorded did not always 
coincide with the dates on which the maximum numbers of calls were recorded. There 
was an 11 -day difference from 1965 to I 966 in the dates on which the maximum 
numbers of cocks were recorded on the Dale Area, and a 3~day difference on the Forbes 
Area. The dates on which the maximum numbers of calls were recorded in I 965 and 
I 966 varied greatly between the two areas and between the 2 years: on Dale the 
difference was 1 month; on Forbes, 6 weeks. At this time, no explanation can be 
offered for this discrepancy. 
