Habitat preferences and survival in wildlife reintroductions: an ecological trap in reintroduced grey partridges

Published source details Rantanen E.M., Buner F., Riordan P., Sotherton N. & Macdonald D.W. (2010) Habitat preferences and survival in wildlife reintroductions: an ecological trap in reintroduced grey partridges. Journal of Applied Ecology, 47, 1357-1364.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Release birds in ‘coveys’ Action Link
	Create uncultivated margins around intensive arable or pasture fields for birds Action Link
	Plant wild bird seed or cover mixture Action Link
	Create uncultivated margins around intensive arable or pasture fields Action Link
	Plant wild bird seed or cover mixture Action Link

Release birds in ‘coveys’

A replicated study on four farms in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, England, in 2007 (Rantanen et al. 2010) found that grey partridge Perdix perdix released in coveys in autumn had significantly higher survival (78% survival of 92 monitored birds over 13 days) than adult birds released in pairs in spring (42% survival for 70 birds). The authors suggest that the differences were due to different habitat use: spring-released birds spent a lot of time in fields and field margins, whilst autumn birds spent more time in game cover crops. Use of field margins was negatively associated with survival, whilst use of crops was positively associated.
Create uncultivated margins around intensive arable or pasture fields for birds

A replicated study on four farms in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, England, in 2007 (Rantanen et al. 2010) found that grey partridge Perdix perdix released in pairs in the spring used field margins more frequently than birds released as family groups in the autumn. This study is discussed in detail in ‘Captive breeding, rearing and releases (ex situ conservation)’.
Plant wild bird seed or cover mixture

A replicated study on four farms in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, England, in 2007 (Rantanen et al. 2010) found that grey partridge released in coveys in the autumn used cover crops more frequently than birds released in pairs in the spring. This study is discussed in ‘Captive breeding, rearing and releases (ex situ conservation)’.
Create uncultivated margins around intensive arable or pasture fields

A replicated study in 2007 in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, England (Rantanen et al. 2010) found that grey partridge Perdix perdix released in pairs in the spring used field margins more frequently than birds released in coveys in the autumn. Four farms were studied. Birds were radio-tagged and their positions marked on a 1:5000 map.
Plant wild bird seed or cover mixture

A replicated study on four farms in Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, England, in 2007 (Rantanen et al. 2010) found that grey partridge Perdix perdix released in coveys in the autumn used cover crops more frequently than birds released in pairs in the spring. Four farms were studied. Birds were radio-tagged and their positions marked on a 1:5000 map.