How many pheasants (Phasianus colchicus L.) can be removed? A study on small protected areas in Italy

In Italy the maintenance and the increase of wild pheasant populations is mainly obtained in small-Protected Areas (PA) suitable for wildlife reproduction. In these areas a part of the resident population is regularly captured and transferred to the hunting zones in the winter time. The aim of the study is to determine the right number of pheasant to be removed from this protected area without causing damage and thus maintaining a balance in the resident population. Since 2000, flush counts census were conducted in 30 PAs in the Florence province during the summer time (post-reproduction period), using dogs experienced at rooting out the pheasants. We made estimates for each PA in the number of adult males, adult females and sexually undifferentiated young pheasants. We calculated post-reproduction density and the ratios of young/adults and males/females. These parameters were used to construct a model to predict the pheasants catches in the next winter.The study showed that the minimum census surface covered must be more than 9% of the total area studied. Smaller coverage gave biased estimations of pheasant numbers to be caught. The best generic model, to be used for surfaces between 297 and 1385 ha, located in Mediterranean habitats, was the following: total number of pheasants to be captured and relocated = -10.3 + 0.15*total number of female pheasants estimated in the protected area + 0.14* total number of young pheasants estimated in the protected area + 0.04*total surface of the protected area (R2 = 0.48)