Title
Protein and Calcium in Diets of Wild Pheasants Feeding Ecology as a Nutritional Tool
Author(s)
Christine Sheppard; Ellen Dierenfeld; Martin Burnett
Published
2018
Abstract
Pheasant nutrition is not well studied despite its potential impacts on management of both captive and wild populations. This study looks at the differential diets of 42 species of pheasant. Data on diets were collected from literature searches and tags from specimens held at the American Museum of Natural History. Diets were categorized into five food categories: INSECTS (insects/spiders; high protein, low calcium), SEEDS (seeds/nuts; moderate protein, low calcium), LEAVES (leaves/grass/shoots/moss; moderate to high protein, high calcium), FRUIT (fruits/berries; low protein, low calcium) and MOLLUSKS (mollusks, crustaceans, worms: high protein, high calcium). Primary and secondary food items were determined for each species. Based on the estimated nutrient content of the diets reviewed here we found that the diets across the pheasant group are more diverse than previously considered and that current dietary recommendations maybe inappropriate for some species.
Keywords
Pheasant, nutrition, protein, calcium, diet

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