| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,500,000)
Fiscal Year 2005: ¥1,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000)
Fiscal Year 2004: ¥1,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000)
Fiscal Year 2003: ¥1,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000)
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| Research Abstract |
The habitat use of the Copper Pheasant, which is endemic to Japan, was investigated by the line transect and direct observation method in an artificial plantation area in Kitago-cho, Minaminaka-gun, Miyazaki Prefecture, which is a hunting-prohibited area. It became clear that while the pheasant often uses broadleaved forests, it also uses artificial environments such as plantation areas, especially ones that are close to mixed forests.
Captive-bred pheasants are released in many prefectures in Japan. In Yaita City, Tochigi Prefecture, many captive-bred individuals have been released with transmitters to trace their behavior and mortality. It was found that predation by carnivorous mammals and birds of prey was the largest cause of mortality of the released Copper Pheasants, and that their survival rates would be much improved by selecting a more adequate season and place to release them. An investigation of the home ranges and habitat use of long-surviving individuals showed that the me
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an home range of males was significantly larger than that of females, but habitat preference for upper layer vegetation was not observed.
When a wild male Copper Pheasant was captured in Tama Forest Science Garden, Hachioji, Tokyo and traced with a radio transmitter, his home range was found to be within about a 10 ha area during the year, but depended on the season. Mating was not always polygamous. Many roosting sites, not only arboreal but also ground ones, were found.
About 60 crops were collected from pheasants captured during the hunting season, and the contents were analyzed to investigate the bird's feeding habits. Leaves, fruits and seeds were found in most of the crops. There was no high occurrence of particular types of fruits or seeds, but ferns made up a large portion of the leaves.
From the results of present study, the Copper Pheasant does not appear to show preference for any particular type of upper layer vegetation, but does show preference for forest floors during the hunting season, especially places where ferns grow. These results will be made available to promote the conservation of adequate habitat and the recovery of the Copper Pheasant population. Less
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