According to the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, the number of red-legged partridges released for shooting has risen substantially in recent years and may now account for about one-quarter of birds released for shooting.
The red-legged partridge (also known as the French partridge or Frenchman) was introduced into mainland Britain in 1673 from France. However, little is known about what happens to red-legged partridges after they have been released, other than those that actually end up in the bag. On many estates, the red-legs that are left at the end of the season gradually dwindle and vanish during the winter.
As a result, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust is about to embark on a new research project, which will for the first time provide detailed information on the fate and movements of the un-shot birds released.
Dr Rufus Sage, head of lowland gamebird research at the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust explains, "We have done extensive research on pheasants, but relatively little is known about the ecology of red-legged partridges in Britain, despite the fact that they are a popular choice on many shooting estates."
This two-year project will involve radio-tracking red-legged partridges following release to discover the percentage of birds that are shot during the shooting season. The project also aims to discover how far the birds disperse from their release sites, and also, how many fall victim to foxes and other predators.
Dr Sage said, "We will fit radio-tags to a total of 50 or so red-legged partridges on each of two sites per year to discover how well they adapt to their habitats and to discover their fate after release. This research should help identify how well they adapt to different types of habitat as well as discovering their fate after release."
Documenting the fate of released red-legs is an important aspect of this new research, which is complementary to previous long-standing studies on the fate of reared and released pheasants. Rufus explains, "Our research on pheasant releasing has resulted in the widely adopted guidelines for sustainable gamebird releasing and we believe that this new research will continue to add to our pool of knowledge to ensure that shooting continues to enhance the environment, as well as improving the welfare of released birds."
