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Restoring Pennsylvania's Game Birds

An overview of the opportunities and challenges in managing game birds in Pennsylvania. Recommendations and resources for private landowners interested in managing game birds on their lands are also provided.

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Updated:

November 7, 2024

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Ruffed Grouse: Photo by the Pennsylvania Game Commission

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Introduction

There are a variety of game bird species that reside in Pennsylvania. Some of the more popular and desired species are the ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus), American woodcock (Scolopax minor), eastern wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris), ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), and bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus). While these species may be popular among game bird enthusiasts, they are by no means commonly found in the wilds of Pennsylvania. With the exception of the wild turkey, many of these species are hard to come by. For example, the ruffed grouse is Pennsylvania's official state bird, so naturally, one would think it would be so abundant that you would see at least one nearly every time you set foot in the woods. However, that is certainly not the case. Most of the species listed above are not abundant at all. Popular species, such as the ring-necked pheasant, for example, do not even have a large naturally occurring population. Instead, most are raised on farms and released into the wild for hunting purposes. It is rare for farm-raised grouse to survive a year in the wild on their own (Sargent and Carter, 1999). Why are game birds becoming a rare encounter for PA hunters? The primary problem is the lack of suitable habitat and forest fragmentation. These species also struggle with devastating diseases such as the West Nile virus. To help support the needs of important game species landowners, the public and state agencies need to work together to reverse this trend (NSTATE, 2017).

Habitat Overview

Game birds require a variety of habitat types depending on their needs at different times of the year. One way of diversifying habitat is through the creation of "edges" between land cover types. The following examples of important habitat types can be incorporated into private lands management to help benefit particular game bird species.

Herbaceous Openings

Many game birds benefit from clearings or openings that contain a lot of herbaceous plants, including native forbs and warm-season grasses (WSG). These openings are also beneficial to a wide variety of other species, such as songbirds, insects, and mammals. Game birds often use these herbaceous openings to satisfy their need for insect consumption, or "bugging," which is important early in the animal's life. A game bird chick needs high amounts of protein in order to fuel their rapid growth. A turkey poult’s diet is about 70% insect matter and 30 percent plant matter, whereas an adult has a diet of about 30% insect matter and 70% plant matter. Access to insect protein is critical to game bird populations because poults and chicks have the highest mortality rate, second only to the loss of eggs from nests. Along with the insect food source, forbs and WSG also provide large amounts of seeds, which are utilized as a consistent annual food source. Providing food throughout the year is important because many game species do not have the option to migrate to other states in order to find food sources, with the exception of the American woodcock.

Native forbs and WSGs also provide important cover that can be utilized by game birds, especially pheasants and quail. The ideal mix for cover in Pennsylvania is around 50% native forbs and 50% WSG. When planting a mix, the incorporation of cool-season grasses and legumes can also be beneficial in providing some of the earliest greens available. This variety in plant species creates biodiversity in the insects and other wildlife that utilize the opening. It also extends how long the opening is used by game birds, due to the fact that different species of forbs flower and seed at different times of the year. Although herbaceous openings are especially important in the spring, they are also utilized year-round by wildlife when there is the right mixture of plants (Carpenter, 2020).

Early Successional Forest

Early successional forest habitat is critical for some game bird species, in particular ruffed grouse and American woodcock. A perfect example of this habitat type is the regeneration of aspen clear-cuts. These areas provide thick low cover for game birds that can be used throughout the year, and are a major food source for grouse and woodcock, which hunt for worms in the soil and eat flowers, catkins, young spring growth, leaves, and buds from the overstory. Grouse also use these stands during the spring for breeding. Males will position themselves on elevated surfaces, often large logs, and beat their wings to create a low-pitched drumming sound. Large, coarse woody debris should be incorporated into these stands for that purpose. Grouse and woodcock will also build their ground nests in these stands. As these stands grow older into pole-size stands, they will be used by turkeys for nesting (Benjamin and Miller, 2017).

Wildlife agencies, including the Pennsylvania Game Commission, often use prescribed fire to maintain open landscapes and improve habitat for wildlife on public lands, but prescribed fire is used less frequently on private lands. To learn more about prescribed fire in Pennsylvania, please read the extension article titled "Prescribed Fire - Does it have a place on my land?" Reverting farm fields and other open spaces into forests is another easy way to gain young forests. Trees and shrubs such as hawthorn, dogwood, viburnums, and other native tree species often provide a food source that can persist into the winter. Along with providing a food source, these openings serve as breeding areas for American woodcock, which use the area as a singing ground to attract females in the spring. Therefore, patchy, inconsistent spacing of shrubs can also be beneficial within these openings (Benjamin and Miller, 2017).

Mature Forest Stands

Mature forests provide food in the form of berries and nuts, also known as mast, which come from oak, maple, aspen, and birch, among many other tree species. Grouse and turkey will eat the berries and nuts produced by trees all summer and into the fall. Good mast seasons are often one of the largest food sources available for game bird species. Some of the best species to maintain for mast production are oaks, cherries, and hickories. Grouse and turkey will also utilize some understory evergreen vegetation, including certain ferns, as a late winter food source. The best way to manage these stands is to use silviculture practices that promote the health and growth of mast-producing trees. If you are managing a large property, it helps to maintain a variety of age classes on the landscape to ensure a continual presence of mature forest with mast-producing species, along with early successional forest (Sargent and Carter, 1999).

Mature conifer forests don’t have mast but provide thermal cover for turkeys and grouse during winter. Conifers such as eastern hemlock, eastern white pine, and spruces offer some of the best protection from the winter elements when the overstory cover is thick and consistent. Planting trees and shrubs, such as hawthorn and crabapple, that bear fruit late into the winter also provides a much-needed food source during winter when adjacent to these conifer patches.

Disease

There are a number of diseases that threaten game bird populations in Pennsylvania that landowners can help address. West Nile virus is a particular concern for those who care about the ruffed grouse. The West Nile virus is spread through mosquitoes, so as the weather fluctuates, so does the amount of West Nile infection. As a population, the ruffed grouse shows a strong resilience in fighting the virus themselves. However, birds can end up succumbing to the virus when they are struggling for food and habitat. The most effective way to aid ruffed grouse and other game birds exposed to West Nile virus is to manage the habitat. By providing nutritious native foods and dense protective cover, infected birds are given a good chance to naturally recover (PA Game Commission, 2017).

Support for Landowners

There are many good reasons for investing in habitat for game bird species. The ruffed grouse is Pennsylvania’s state bird, so managing for this species on private lands would be a tribute to our Commonwealth. Much of the public looks to private lands to support important bird populations. Managing and conserving land for game bird species also helps protect biodiversity in general, which is needed to maintain healthy ecosystems into the future (NSTATE, 2017).

Landowners who want to work with wildlife biologists to create habitat or manage wildlife could consider the Private Landowner Assistance program by the Pennsylvania Game Commission (see the resource list below). This program provides landowners with assistance, advice, and support. Participants are also not required to provide public access to their land, making it ideal for landowners who want to benefit wildlife species but keep their land private. The program is also customizable based on land size, time frame, and the involvement of the landowner.

For landowners with farmland or pasture property, Pennsylvania's Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), provides payments for maintaining a variety of conservation projects, including planting native grasses, creating cover, and restoring wildlife habitat. This program is offered through the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA). Landowners should contact their local FSA office to become involved in planning a CREP project. Listed below are a number of other resources that may also help landowners interested in managing game birds.

Private Landowner Assistance Program

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)

Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program | NRCS Pennsylvania

Grassland Management

Conservation Stewardship Program | NRCS Pennsylvania

Landowner's Tool Box

NWTF Seed Programs

Student Authors

This article was written in coordination with undergraduate students as part of a class project in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management at Penn State.