FURBEARERS AND UPLAND GAME
PROJECT REPORTS

Project Title: Pheasant Cock Crowing Census

Issue/Problem Statement

Pheasants are an introduced and highly prized game bird in Nova Scotia. Although some record of their abundance can be determined from harvest statistics and abundance rankings, a more direct count is important to establish the actual density of birds and to monitor long term trends.

Objective

To document annual levels of territorial cock pheasants in representative pheasant habitats throughout the range of the bird in Nova Scotia.

Methods

Routes are set up in representative habitat and run by staff of Regional Services or Wildlife Division. Ten stops are made at three kilometre intervals and all cock crows are recorded in a two minute period. Counts begin at 40 minutes before sunrise and are normally finished in about one hour. Data sheets are forwarded to the Wildlife Division and results compiled in a electronic format.

Partners

Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources Regional Services.

Project Dates and Duration

Optimal time is May 5-15 but May 1-20 is acceptable.

Progress to Date

Two routes in Kings county have been run since 1959. A total of about 14 routes in nine counties now have data going back to 1987 or 1988.

Reporting

Data is maintained in electronic format and utilized in various reports dealing with population status of upland game.

Management Recommendations

Continue. Data important for tracking population levels and distribution of a harvested game bird.

Final Report: NA

Completion Dates: NA

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Last Date Updated: 4 June, 2001