Factors Affecting Red-Legged PartridgeAlectoris rufaAbundance on Big-Game Hunting Estates: Implications for Management and Conservation

Abstract

SUMMARY.-The red-legged partridge Alectoris rufa is not only the most important bird game species but also an important prey species for many predators in Iberia. However, its populations have significantly declined in recent decades, principally as the result of agricultural intensification on arable land. Its abundance has also undergone a significant decline in forested areas over the last few decades, where wild ungulate management and abundance have increased. In this scenario, we aimed to test the factors that affect red-legged partridge abundance in relation to high wild ungulate (wild boar and red deer) abundance in south-central Spain. The factors included as predictors were carnivore, wild boar and red deer abundances, vegetation features, nest predation rate and invertebrate availability. Red deer abundance showed a negative relationship with partridge abundance in spring (non-significant negative trends were also evident for carnivore and wild boar), whereas variables related to food availability (grass biomass, Hemipteran abundance and total invertebrate mass) had a positive effect in the same season. Moreover, deer and carnivore abundances and spring nest predation rate were negatively associated with partridge abundance in autumn. Plant biomass and Hemipteran abundance were negatively correlated with wild boar abundance, whereas maximum pasture height was negatively related to red deer and wild boar abundance. Overall, our results show that high ungulate densities may

Understanding the impact of wild boar on the European wild rabbit and red-legged partridge populations using a diet metabarcoding approach

“…On the other hand, in the case of red-legged partridge, only the abundance of this species was positively related to FOP. For this species, previous studies showed that high wild boar densities may negatively affect abundance, mediated by a reduction in food availability and nest predation (Carpio et al 2014a(Carpio et al , 2015Mori et al 2021). The predation of nests or chicks, together with the possible predation or mortality rate of released partridges that could be consumed as carrion, could explain their FO in the diet.…”