IGPCT to present at IUGB conference in Barcelona
Keiran Buckley from the Trust will address the International Union of Game Biologists (IUGB) conference which is being held this year in Barcelona from the 5-9th September.
He will update the conference on advances in the field of captive breeding as used in the Boora project.
Here is the abstract of his talk.
EVERY PARTRIDGE COUNTS – SUCCESSFUL TECHNIQUES USED IN THE CAPTIVE BREEDING OF WILD GREY PARTRIDGE IN IRELAND
Between 1998 and 2001 the last remaining wild grey partridge population in Ireland faced imminent extinction with only 4-6 breeding pairs, and an autumn population of 22-24 birds. By 2010 the population had recovered to 55 breeding pairs and an autumn population of 921 birds. Traditional game management methods including predator control and habitat provision in a project site of 12,000 hectares have played an important role in that recovery.
However, this paper concentrates on another key aspect of wild partridge management in describing how we have successfully used traditional grey partridge management methods of the 19th century to aid the recovery of our national population in 21st century Ireland.
Each year a variable number of grey partridge are trapped from the wild, and placed in a unit where they pair naturally with other wild birds overwintered in pens within the project site. Each pair is then allotted their own breeding pen. Within this pen the natural breeding process begins with nest construction, laying, incubation and hatch. After several weeks the pair and their brood are released into suitable habitats. We use many other traditional but long forgotten techniques to ensure that every partridge counts in this recovery project.The captive breeding programme began in 2002 with two pairs of grey partridge.
They were released with a resulting 10 juveniles. In 2010 we had 32 pairs producing 510 chicks of which 436 survived as juveniles. This represents an 85.5% chick survival rate. In 2010 one hen laid and incubated 27 eggs and hatched out 27 chicks, which may be a world record for partridge and indeed for any bird species.
The techniques we use are traditional and labour intensive but they work. We recommend that other grey partridge recovery projects should consider captive breeding to compliment other game management methods used.