Fragmented landscapes are a product of modern land management. This includes impacts on game species. South Georgia is dominated by landscapes that are poor or unsuitable habitat for Northern Bobwhites. When individual landowners undertake management to benefit quail populations often the response is not as positive as we would expect. Many of these places are “islands” of good habitat isolated in landscapes of poor habitat.

During the spring of 2003, WSFR biologists began a landmark study of the demographic and genetic responses of an isolated bobwhite population to a release of wild bobwhites. Theron M. Terhune, began his Ph.D. research, directed by Dr. John Carroll, studying the efficacy of translocating wild Northern Bobwhite prior to the breeding season. This project is a collaborative effort between Daniel B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, the Albany Quail Project, and Tall Timbers Research Station, Inc.

The study site is typical of many Georgia landscapes managed for wildlife being truly an isolated “island” of good quail habitat surrounded by relatively poor areas comprised of pine plantations, pastures, and small-scale agriculture. As a result, the bobwhite population on this site has been isolated, both physically and genetically, for at least 15 years. Management on the property is different from most because it has been intensively managed for 6 years, prior to the onset of this project, but with relatively minimal bobwhite population response.

This area provided a great opportunity to study the demographics and genetic condition of an isolated bobwhite population – an area of bobwhite ecology that has not been adequately investigated. Thus, during March of 2003 and 2004, we captured 60 bobwhites from sites near Albany, Georgia, radio-tagged and translocated them to our study site. Additionally, we radio-tagged and monitored 60 resident/native bobwhites were radio-tagged. We also initiated abundance counts and rigorous genetic sampling during 2003 – 2005.

Recent completion of the field portion of this study revealed that survival and reproductive output of translocated birds was similar to resident bobwhites, and population levels substantially increased during the 3-year period. These results suggest that translocating bobwhites does not negatively impact their survival or reproduction and may serve as a conservation tool in the future. At present, further results or conclusions from this study would be premature; however, the results from this project should provide terrific insight to gene flow, population dynamics, and the spatial limitations associated with translocation.

For more information regarding this project contact Theron Terhune at (706) 542-3932 or visit the website (http://gallus.forestry.uga.edu/genetics/terhune.php/).