Population status

Ring-necked Pheasant
(Phasianus colchicus)

The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) provides good coverage of the range of Ring-necked Pheasant in Canada, and is the best source of monitoring data. BBS results indicate that the population has changed little overall since about 1970. At the regional level, trends among the Bird Conservation Regions (BCR) in which the species occurs vary; numbers are increasing in the Atlantic Northern Forest BCR, and decreasing in the Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain and the western BCRs. However, the Prairie Potholes BCR indicates an more or less unchanged population. The Christmas Bird Count provides population data during the winter and, in contrast to the BBS, suggests a large decrease in the Canadian population since the early 1970s. However, variation in stocking and hunting rates during the fall and early winter may affect the Christmas Bird Count results. BBS trends measure the population in the spring, after the effects of winter mortality and when the influences of stocking and hunting rates on the population trend are reduced. The BBS results are used here to determine that there has been little overall change in the population since 1970, this assessment is considered to be of medium reliability.

 

Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis

Additional information on: Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis

Table 1: Population trends by geographic area
Geographic areaTime Period Table 1 - footnote 1 Annual trend Table 1 - footnote 2 Intervals Table 1 - footnote3
LowerUpper
Canada Select to view graph of the geographic area: Canada 1970-2012; Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis1970-2012-0.4-1.81.9
Great Basin Select to view graph of the geographic area: Great Basin 1970-2012; Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis1970-2012-2.1-3.9-0.3
Prairie Potholes Select to view graph of the geographic area: Prairie Potholes 1970-2012; Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis1970-2012-0.5-2.21.6
Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain Select to view graph of the geographic area: Lower Great Lakes / St. Lawrence Plain 1970-2012; Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis1970-2012-4.2-5.9-2.5
Atlantic Northern Forest Select to view graph of the geographic area: Atlantic Northern Forest 1970-2012; Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) - Canadian analysis1970-201252.97.2
 

Picture of logo Christmas Bird Count (CBC)

Additional information on: Christmas Bird Count (CBC)

Table 2: Population trends by geographic area
Geographic areaTime PeriodAnnual trend Table 2 - footnote 1 Limits
LowerUpper
Canada Select to view graph of the geographic area: Canada 1965-2012; Christmas Bird Count (CBC)1965-2012-2.8-4-1.6
 

References