Upland Game Birds and other
Land Bird Species Common to
Texas
Dr. Doug Ullrich
This presentation follows “The Upland Game
Bird Management Handbook for Texas
Landowners”
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_rp_w7000_1
558.pdf
For detailed information on birds see: www.allaboutbirds.org
Texas Game Birds









Northern Bobwhite Quail
Scaled Quail
Gambel’s Quail
Montezuma Quail
Eastern Wild Turkey
Rio Grande Wild Turkey
Lesser Prairie Chicken
Plain Chachalaca
Ring-Neck Pheasant
Bobwhite Quail
Colinus virginianus






(pg 5)
Post popular and abundant quail in Texas
Adults-10 to 11 inches in length
Wingspan-14 to 15 inches
Weight-5 to 6 ounces
Habitat – mixed brush &
grasslands
Range – most of Texas
Bobwhite Quail




Wide-ranging
Prefers abandoned
farms fields, brushy
cover
Widely hunted
Life expectancy >1
year
Mating





Usually form a weak pairing bond
Hens not always faithful to roosters and
vice versa.
Rooster or Hen can incubate eggs-not
shared
The parent not incubating will leave the
nest in search of another mate
Hens can nest up to three times
Nesting




Begins about 2 weeks after pairing and
may last until August
Most nesting occurs through May and early
June
About 12-15 eggs per clutch
Incubation about 21-23 days
Nesting Cont…


Young leave nest as soon as down dries
and after a couple weeks they began to fly
around
Quail mature from 14-16 weeks of age and
stay in coveys until April when they pair
off for mating
Mortality Rate

High Mortality Rate




70-80 percent turnover annually is not uncommon
Causes-food shortage, cold, weather, predators,
disease
Fire ants have been blamed for high mortality
rates
Life span 4-5 yrs but expectancy is less than 1
Habitat Requirements
Food, Cover and Space
Food-about 15% animal matter and 85%
plant matter
Predominantly insects-beetles, weevils,
caterpillars, and crickets

Young feed exclusively on insects
Food Cont…

Plant matter



Seeds, fruits, but some green vegetation is
consumed.
Smooth, hard seed-croton, ragweed, and
partridge pea
Agricultural crops such as: corn, grain sorghum,
legumes, soybeans, and other small grains
Cover



Edge animals and also prefer early stage
vegetation
They occupy idle fields, open woodland,
crop fields that have weedy edges, and
some pastures
Necessary requirements-loafing, escape,
and protective cover near dusting and
feeding areas
Cover [cont.]




Resting cover utilized in the day
periodically between feeding
Low growing woody plants provide resting
cover away from predators such as Hawks
and need not be more than 200 to 300 feet
apart
Nest location is near edge of rough grass
Fence rows are favorites amongst quail

Problem for quail
Cover [cont]



Escape cover-shrub thickets needed on
about every 15 acres
Roosting cover-needs too provide warmth
at ground level but not restrict flight
Birds roost in a circle, their heads look
outwards and tails are positioned inward
Water



Water is typically not a factor when dealing
with quail management
Usually obtain water through food or dew
on plants
However, some present day managers are
constructing watersheds or trickle systems
to attract soft bodied insects for quail
consumption
Space



The range of a covey is generally confined
to ¼ square mile and seldom exceeds a full
square mile.
The closer together Food, Cover, and
Water the smaller the home range
Proper management can result in maximum
carrying capacities of >3 per acre
Management-Habitat




Needs can be met with range management
practices
Grazing management will likely be need to
maintain low growing weeds and brush
Brush management must be used as well
because quail are not adapted to dense
stands of brush
Burning is one possible answer to this
problem and will also promote new growth
Management-Population



Regardless of hunted or non hunted lands,
theses areas still display the same mortality
rate of 70-80%
These numbers fluctuate widely due to the
simple fact that quail are so sensitive to
their environment
Hunting of these birds takes place to cull
“surplus” birds that would otherwise be
lost during the cold winter season
Non-biological Practices




Leave crop residue on surface rather than
disking, will allows the plants to leave
grain on the surface during the fall and
winter when food for quail is scarce
Delay mowing around the edges of fields
until mid summer to prevent nest
disturbance
Leave fence row, with only occasional
thinning
Prescribe Burning-promote new growth
Scaled Quail
Callipepla Squamata





Common names-Blue Quail and Cotton top
Two sub species in Texas-Arizona form and the
Chestnut-bellied
Arizona form inhabits-Trans-Pecos, West Central,
and Panhandle
Chestnut form inhabits-South Texas
Coloration and markings similar but Chestnut is
darker with a chestnut colored belly patch, and
Scaled quail are only slightly larger than bob whites
Scaled Quail / Blue Quail
Callipepla squamata



Habitat Western 1/3rd
of Texas
Known to run from
danger
Different flight
patterns than
Bobwhite Quail
Habitat for Scaled Quail






Dry brushy rangelands-they need open
space to run quickly
Seldom fly unless pressured
Nest in clumps of grass or bushes
Clutch size of about 12
Incubation period is about 21 days
Incubation fluctuates due to rainfall
Food




Mostly seeds, but will eat insects
Croton, mesquite, bristle grass, and millets
Frequently eat grass hoppers, beetles, and
other insects of similar form
Available water is limiting factor
Scaled Quail Management




Occur in arid rangelands of Texas with
limited livestock carrying capacities
Prescribed burning to control junipers
Disking, food plots, and cover are not
typically constructed for these birds due to
unreliable rainfall
These quail are adapted to natural
rangelands
Gambel’s Quail
Callipepla gambelii






Homeland-Extreme West Texas
Dry desert-like shrub lands
Black belly patch
Black face bordered with white strips
Teardrop-shaped topknot near front of the
head
Has a three slurred call
Gambel’s Quail
Callipepla gambelii
Gambel’s Quail
Callipepla gambelii



Average length is 11 inches with a wingspan of
14-16 inches.
Diet consists primarily of plant matter & seeds.
Primarily move about by walking, and can
move surprisingly fast through brush and
undergrowth.
Gambel’s Quail
Callipepla gambelii



They are a non-migratory species and are
rarely seen in flight.
Any flight is usually short and explosive,
with many rapid wingbeats followed by a
slow glide to the ground.
These birds have relatively short, rounded
wings and long, featherless legs.
Gambel’s Quail
Callipepla gambelii



In the late summer, fall and winter, the adults
and immature young congregate into coveys
of many birds.
In the spring, they pair off for mating and
become very aggressive toward other pairs.
Chicks more insectivorous than adults and
gradually consume more plant matter as they
mature.
Gambel’s Quail
Callipepla gambelii



Monogamous and rarely breed in colonies.
Female typically lays 10-15 eggs in a
simple scrape concealed in vegetation,
often at the base of a rock or tree.
Incubation lasts from 21-24 days, usually
performed by the female and rarely by the
male.
Gambel’s Quail
Callipepla gambelii


Chicks are precocial leaving the nest within
hours of hatching.
Precocial - young are relatively mature and
mobile from the moment of birth or hatching.
Female
Male
Montezuma Quail or Mearns
Cytonyx Montezuma




No open hunting season
Also called the
Montezuma quail
Lives in far West Texas
Striking harlequin /
clowns face color
pattern
Montezuma Quail or Mearns
Cytonyx Montezuma



Sometimes confused with the African
Harlequin
Nesting does not start till July or August, the
season of "monsoon" rains throughout its
range.
The long delay between pairing and nesting is
unusual for quails.
Montezuma Quail or Mearns
Cytonyx Montezuma



The nest is also unusual: a grass dome with
one entrance, more elaborate than most nests
in the family.
The clutch comprises about 11 eggs (ranging
from 6 to 12), which are "whitish or chalky”
Incubation lasts about 25 days (two days
longer than that of most American quail).
Turkey

Two main subspecies found in Texas

Eastern Turkey

Rio Grande Turkey
Eastern Wild Turkey
Melegaris galloavo silvestris


Found in deciduous
or pine forests of east
Texas
Range is expanding
with TPWD and Wild
Turkey Federation
efforts
Rio Grande Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo intermedia



Lighter color than Easter
Turkey
Inhabits riparian areas and
mesquite and scrub oak
forests
Widely range across Texas
except East Texas and far
West texas
Turkey - Description





Largest game bird native to US forests
Adapt to running and flying;
They do not fly very long distances
Rio Grande is most abundant and largely
distributed, occupying a 400 mile east to west
band in the central part of Texas
The Eastern Wild Turkey lives in humid
forests of east Texas
Turkey - History



Wild Turkeys were found every before the
European immigrants settled in the states
Thorough land clearing and extensive hunting
almost eradicated these birds from the eastern
forests in the early 1900’s
Restoration programs within the last 10 years
are on the rise and the future looks bright for
the Turkey
Turkey - Characteristics



Large, long-legged bird, but trimmer than the
domestic turkey
Gobblers (adult males) weigh between 12 and
20 pounds and have spurs on their legs,
beards, and dark iridescent plumage on their
breast.
Hens (Females) weigh anywhere from 8-12
pounds and are less iridescent. They may have
a smaller beard or may not have one at all
Turkey - Characteristics [cont]



Prefer walking rather than flying
Can run up to 15 mph and can fly up to 40
mph if necessary
Tracks



Gobblers are larger than hens
Droppings-gobblers are larger and more
elongated
Hens droppings are spiral and resemble popcorn
Turkey - Mating Habits




Turkey are promiscuous
Mating begins in the spring, but gobbler does
not establish a strict territory, but drives other
Toms out of “his territory”
Gobbler’s strut, to announce their local
superiority and simultaneously attracting his
harem (3-10 hens) per gobbler.
Each female breeds only once each spring,
and will isolate her self from to tend to her
clutch
Turkey - Nests





Nests are constructed on the ground and are made of
leaves, straws, and grass -- Built on top of tall grasses
and vegetation
Clutch is 8-26 eggs and takes 28 days of incubation
for hatching -- If interrupted re-nesting is almost
always unsuccessful
Once all are hatched, they are led away by the hen
Poults begin roosting in trees at just two weeks and
can fly at just 10 days
Predation is high during this period
Turkey Habitat Needs




Turkeys are opportunistic feeders
In spring main food sources are green grasses,
forbs, buds, flowers, seed and insects
Poult diets during the first two weeks is 90%
insects
Fall and Winter feeds include; seed, green
grasses, forb shoots, acorns, and agricultural
crops
Turkey - Cover




Roosting sites require mature timber and
shelter from bad weather
Escape Cover-big brush, timer stands, dense
grassy fields, and thickets
Ideal cover is a diversity of mixed timber and
openings.
Turkeys need the timber for roosting and to
conceal AND openings for feeding are also
needed.
Turkey - Water



Turkey must have water daily, but for short
terms can obtain water from plants and
insects.
Prefer to roost near water sources
Proper nesting space should have running
water within 400 feet of the nest
Turkey - Space


The yearly range of Turkey is usually 8-10
miles, from winter roost sites to summer
nesting sites (about 20,000 acres)
Birds are extremely sensitive to human
disturbances, and they should not be hunted
or tampered with within a quarter mile of
their roost or nest
Turkey - Habitat Management



The biggest problem with Turkey is that they
move around so much.
Landowners can make conditions favorable
so that turkey are more likely to come to the
area and stay there longer
Range characteristics such as size, shape,
plant species composition and density affect
turkey habitat
Turkey - Habitat Management [cont]



Maintaining openings will enhance turkey
habitat.
This area needs to contain 10-50 percent
openings scattered around.
These need to be less than 20 acres and
should be shaped for maximum edge effect
to limit long movements of hens with
broods
Habitat - Management Cont…



Supplemental food planting and watering sites
enhance turkey habitat.
Plantings need to simulate natural food in
order to draw Turkeys in to a foreign area
Legume planting is great for birds in the
winter and spring, and small grain crops in the
summer
Turkey - Non-biological Practices





Several soil and water conservation practices
that can benefit Turkey
Proper Grazing
Brush Management
Prescribed Burning
Protecting certain trees and shrubs
Lesser Prairie Chicken
Tympanuchus pallidicinctus



Upland, grassland-nesting bird found in
Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico
and Texas.
Best know for courtship displays and
“gobbling”grounds
Highly social animal
Lesser Prairie Chicken
Lesser Prairie Chicken - Habitat


Native rangeland in different stages of plant
succession with a diversity of native, short- to
mid-height grasses and forbs interspersed with
low-growing shrubby cover
Sand sagebrush communities dominated by
sand dropseed side oats grama, little bluestem
and shinnery oak make up the most preferred
habitat
Lesser Prairie Chicken



Display grounds, or leks, are established in open areas of
low-growing vegetation and generally are located within or
close to grassland nesting cover.
Adequate cover is among the greatest factors affecting lesser
prairie-chicken populations, and the continued loss of
shrub/grassland habitat remains the greatest threat to the
lesser prairie chicken’s future.
See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHuYt_Wx9yQ
Lesser Prairie Chicken



Diet consists of insects, seeds, and leaves, catkins,
and buds of forbs (broad-leaved plants) and
cultivated crops.
Juveniles less than 10 weeks old feed primarily on
insects such as short-and long-horned grasshoppers
and beetles
Leafhoppers and other smaller insects are eaten in
the initial weeks following hatching.
Lesser Prairie Chicken





Insects make up more than half of the spring and summer
diet of adult lesser prairie-chickens.
Sand sage leaves and buds and various forbs are consumed
in spring and summer as well.
Seeds are primary foods in autumn, supplemented with
vegetative matter and insects.
Shinnery oak acorns, sage leaves, wild buckwheat, rye and
seeds from native wild plants, fruits, and flowers are eaten in
winter months.
Corn, oats, wheat, rye, grain sorghum, and other small grain
crops left as waste grain after harvest, or left standing as a
food plot.
Plain Chachalaca
Ortalia vetula





Live in deep South Texas-near Rio Grande
River
Large chicken-like, dark greenish to brown
bird
Light pink skin on throat
Long green tail
Lives in thickets, or dense vegetation
Chachalaca
Ring-necked Pheasant
Phasianus colchicus



Chicken-like bird
Weighs 2-3 pounds
Male’s plumage is bright browns, gold
colorss, buffs, blues, and blacks with a
greenish-purple iridescence around the head
and neck and bright red wattles and eye patch,


Male has distinctive white ring around neck
Tail-long sweeping and pointed
Ring-necked Pheasant
Ring-necked Pheasant - History




Ancestry in the U.S. is a mixture of
Chinese, Korean, and Manchurian birds
Exotic, introduced into in the 1790’s
Early introductions were unsuccessful
First succeeded in Oregon in 1881 and
made its way south in 1939 to the Texas
Panhandle and to the Texas Gulf Coast in
the 1970’s
Establishments


These birds have established in croplands
where grain crops are grown-sorghum,
corn, and other small grains
Well adapted to irrigated crops
Ring-necked Pheasant - Breeding




The mating season in the state of Texas
occurs in April with the peak hatching
season in generally mid June
Clutch sizes vary between 12-15 eggs and
incubation roughly requires 23 days
Hens produce only one brood per year, but
may re-nest if eggs get destroyed early
Do not form a pair bond, the males will
establish territories
Breeding [cont]





65-75% of fall population will not live to see the
hunting season the following year
Playas and small grains are crucial for the nesting hens
Alfalfa is a favorite for nesting hens, but they will
make do with what is available
Wheat is a disadvantage because harvest time conflicts
with nesting
Planting alfalfa grass mixtures in 10 acre segments
within 200 yards of a playa is beneficial
Ring-necked Pheasant
Habitat Requirements

Pheasants are primarily seed eaters




Corn, sorghum, wheat, barley, and soybeans
make up a large percentage of a pheasant’s diet
Will feed on insects when they are available and
seeds are scarce
Chicks diet consist largely of insects
Gravel and Calcium-snail shells-are vital during
breeding and egg laying
Ring-necked Pheasant - Cover

Require several cover types




Loafing cover, travel lanes, roosting cover,
nesting cover, and winter cover
Nesting and winter cover are the most crucial
Need protection from the elements in the harsh
winter months
Weeds, Fencerows, and Windbreaks provide this
structural cover
Ring-necked Pheasant Water



Water is not crucial when looking at a
management perspective
Birds eat soft bodied, water containing
insects
Usually associated with plenty of irrigated
croplands to meet their water requirements
Ring-necked Pheasant - Space



Free roaming bird
If there is adequate food and cover throughout
the year, this birds have been known to stay
within less than one square mile.
This will vary from season to season
depending on rainfall and irrigation
Pheasant - Management


After the harvest of grain crops these birds
are left with a sufficient food source on the
ground to last a population through the winter
months
This only holds true if waste grains are not
plowed under but left on the soil after harvest
Ring-necked Pheasant Population


A good nesting year with good weather
conditions will typically produce 8-10 chicks
75% of the fall population will not make it
through one year.


Starvation, predation, accidents, and winter
conditions will most likely account for this
turnover
Hunting makes little or no impact on this
mortality rate, hunters are harvest birds that
would be culled
Migratory Non Waterfowl
Game Birds





Mourning Dove
White-Winged Dove
White-Tipped (White-fronted)
Rock Doves (Pigeons)
American Woodcock
Mourning Dove





Pigeon-like bird
Varies from 11-13 inches in length
Weighs three and a half to five ounces
Wings bordered with white spots and are
five and a half to seven inches long.
Long neck and small head
Mourning Dove
Description






Males more brightly colored
Difficult to distinguish between the sexes
Bare skin around the eyes is bluish, and the
iris is dark brown
Slender bill, small and black
Legs and feet are red
Females and juveniles are slightly smaller
and have duller colors
Characteristics



Mourning Dove is a native species
Has the largest range of all North America’s
game birds, from Canada to the Bahamas.
Usually winters in California to Georgia,
south to Panama, and can be in Alaska and
Greenland in the summer
Migration





Start migrating in September, after nesting is
completed and possibly October along the Gulf
Coast
Migration is a leisurely process
Roost at night in trees and rest in the middle of the
day
Most flying occurs early morning and late afternoon
Average 15 miles a day and migration is normally
completed by December
Territory



Dove do not have an exact territory, except
when they are nesting
Their roosting cover and availability of
food determine their range
Move constantly in search of food
Mating




Mourning Dove are monogamous and both
the female and male will incubate the eggs
In the north mating will occur in January
and February and in the north as late as
March and April
The males selects nest site and protects it
by cooing, flying and pecking
The pressure by other males can be intense
Nesting



Dove will pair off to nest, but will gather in
flocks after nesting
Sometimes groups of 20 will migrate
together, but this is often subject to change
along the way
There appears to be no social conflict
between the sexes and juveniles at this
point
Attraction



Dove females are attracted to males by the
cooing that the males produce
This main “cooing” courtship shown by males
and it most heard at dawn and late afternoon
The female can “coo” too, but the coos are
very quite and seldom heard
Nesting





The male always picks the nesting site and will bring
twigs and branches to compete the nest once he finds
a companion
The female will perform the construction of the nest
The first egg is laid, followed the second one two
days later
Eggs are elliptical-oval, pure white, and are between
21millimeters and 28 millimeters
Usually two to five periods of nesting per pair.
Nest [cont.]





Nest are constructed in trees but will not be
used until there are leaves in the tree
In some circumstances such as lack of trees or
crowding, doves are forced to nest on the
ground
Most nest are within 5-25 ft off the ground
Same sites are used year after year, and also
the same location in the tree is typically used
May also use the nest of other birds
Hatching





Incubation last 14-15 days
Both sexes participate
Male sits during daytime and female at night
Dove are altricial (young are helpless at
hatching and require parental care for a
while)
Glandular secretion (pigeon milk) from both
parent crop-only food young receive while in
the nest
Raising Broods




The broods are raised about a month
Within a week of laying nest, parents either
lay another clutch or start their migration
Juveniles continue to grow and complete
feathering after a couple of weeks after
leaving the nest
After this they gather in flocks and start
migrate, generally before the mature birds,
and they do not breed the first year
Mortality



Hunting of dove generally takes about 30-35%
of the population annually
There is also predation, accidents, starvation,
disease, and parasites
Most predation is accounted for in the nesting
stage
Habitat Requirements



Diet consist of seeds of native grasses,
cultivated grains, and forbs-croton and
sunflower
Insects are a small portion of the diet
Gravel or some form of Grit is needed for
digestion to break down food
Cover




One of the most adaptable species because of
its wide home range
Do not inhabit-forest, plains, marshes or
prairies
Doves prefer to feed on ground vegetation is
sparse versus dense grasses
Agricultural fields and brush and trees are
ideal cover for birds, even urban areas
Water


Water is crucial for birds during the nesting
season and you will often find them close to a
water source, although they can obtain some
water from plants
Besides the nesting period - water is seldom a
limiting factor due to the fact that these birds
seem to always be on the move find new
places
Dove Management




It is hard to manage Dove because they are
migratory birds that are always on the move,
but areas can be made desirable in order to
attract them
Dove will not feed in dense grasses
Disking is great because it encourages natural
weeds to grow
Planting wheat and sunflower are beneficial
Population




Hunting is one of the biggest population
controls on these birds
If mortality is 50% or less, then next years
breeding population will increase
If mortality is 70% or more, it will decrease
Texas Parks and Wildlife monitors bird
numbers and sets regulations for each hunting
year
White-winged Dove



Similar in appearance
to the Mourning Dove
Large white wingbands
Rounded, whitecornered tail
White-winged dove




Important game bird in the Lower Rio Grand
Valley
Feeding habitats similar to morning dove
Prefer older more established residential
neighborhoods with large live oak, pecans and
ashe trees
Range and numbers are increasing
White-winged Dove –
Habitat and Food



Prefer large shade trees
Expanding range into urban areas
Food – similar to Mourning Dove



Will eat nectar, pollen and cactus fruits
Will ingest small stones for digestion
Prefers snail shells or bone fragments which
provide calcium
Nesting



Both sexes build nest
Female selects nesting site – often nesting
in groups with other White-wings
Male brings materials for nest building and
assists female in building process
Behaviors



Will lure predators away from nest with
“broken wing”
Largely gregarious and move in groups
May be effected by pesticide residues or
contamination from fungal toxins in grain
White-Tipped Doves
(White-fronted)



White-Tipped (White-fronted)
Rock Doves (Pigeons)
American Woodcock
White-Tipped Dove (White-fronted)




Very similar to White-winged dove
Flies low to ground
Suited for
citrus groves
Range is lower
of Texas
part
Rock Doves (Pigeons)





Introduced to North America in 1600’s
Wide range
Urban and Rural
Up to 5 broods
per year
Non-migratory
American Woodcock




Shorebird that lives in forests
Eats earthworms
Range woods
of central and
East Texas
Similar to
Wilson’s snipe
Chukar


Sometimes pen raised
and released for
hunting in Texas
Common mid-west
US
Ruffed Grouse

Coloration serves as a
camouflage



Mixture of browns,
blacks, whites, and
grays
Have ruffs on neck
Have crest on top of
head
Common non-game species
mistaken for game birds







Prairie Chicken
Band-tailed Pigeon
Greater Road Runner
Mockingbird
Blue Jay
Northern Cardinal
American Robin
Prairie Chicken




A.K.A. Lesser Prairie
Chicken
Brownish in color with
brown bars on topside of
body, neck, breast, and
belly
Long wing-like tufts of
feathers on sides of neck
Males have inflatable dull
red air sacs on side of
neck
Band-tailed Pigeon





Large, migratory
dove
Plump, small-headed
Slender
Black-tipped feathers
Yellow beaks
Greater Roadrunner





Large
Shaggy-crested
Long-necked
Short, rounded wings
White crescent shows
when they fly,
however they
normally run
Mockingbird




Grey colored feathers
on back
White underside
Large white wing
patches
Outer tail feathers
that are white
Blue Jay



Large, bight blue bird
Whitish underparts
Conspicuous crest
Northern Cardinal



Males are bright red
with black throats
Conspicuous crown
Beaks are conical and
red-colored
American Robin




Large Thrush
Reddish / Orange
breast
Males have a
blackish-gray back
and wings
Lower belly and
throat are white
The end…