MONTHLY WILDLIFE RESEARCH LETTER 
Department of Conservation and Natural History Survey, Cooperating 
Glen C. Sanderson and Helen C. Schultz, Editors 
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Urbana, Illinois 
August, 1970 
Vol. 13, No. 8 
1. Pheasant Populations and Land Use S. L. Etter, 
R. E. Greenberg 
Standardized counts of pheasant broods, made on the Sibley Study Area during 
July and August 1970, recorded 42 percent more broods than in 1989* One hundred 
eighty broods were observed along 640 miles of roadside transect (two 40-mile 
routes were driven each week), compared with 127 broods in 19 & 9 * The average 
size of broods judged to be completely counted was 5*2 chicks in both 19&9 an d 
1970. 
The number of adult hens observed along these same 640 miles increased from 
230 in 1969 to 309 in 1970 (34 percent). Twenty-six percent of the adult hens 
observed in August 1970 were broodless, compared with 28 percent in August 1 969 * 
The above indices suggest a substantial increase in pheasant numbers in 1970, 
compared with 1969 * 
2. Manipulation of Pheasant Habitat G. B. Joselyn 
Densities of pheasant nests in 1970 on seeded roadside plots (averaging 2.8 
nests per acre) represented the highest rate of nest establishment on this type 
of roadside since 1966 , when 2.9 nests per acre were established. Rates of nest 
establishment on seeded roadside plots have varied from a low of 1.7 nests per 
acre in 1 969 to a high of 3.8 nests per acre in 1964. Nest densities declined 
each year from 1966 through 1969 * 
The nest density on managed control roadside plots was 1.5 nests per acre 
this year, up slightly from 1.3 nests per acre in 19&9* Managed control roadsides 
have varied in nest densities from a low of 1.3 nests per acre in I 969 to a high 
of 2.8 nests per acre in 1 963 . Nest densities on managed control roadside plots 
either decreased or remained unchanged each year from I 963 through 19 & 9 * 
3 . Ecology and Management of Sguirre 1s C. M. Nixon 
The first report on this project will appear in the September issue of the 
Monthly Wildlife Research Letter. 
4. Responses of Bobwhites to Habitat Manipulation J- A. Ellis, 
D. R. Vance 
Counts of whistling bobwhites along standardized routes on the Forbes and 
Dale areas may be used as indices of fall population densities (MWRL 10(9):2) on 
the areas. Analysis of 1964-69 data showed significant regressions (£<.005) of 
number of calls per listening stop on fall population densities. Predicted 
IATURAL HISTORY SURVEY 
