Upland game bird facts for kids

Upland game bird is an American term which refers to non-water fowl game birds in groundcover-rich terrestrial ecosystems above wetlands and riparian zones (i.e. "uplands"), which are commonly hunted with gun dogs (pointing breeds, flushing spaniels and retrievers).

Upland region vs. wetland vs. lacustrine zones

List of games

• Ring-necked pheasant
• Bobwhite quail
• Blue grouse
• Ruffed grouse
• Sharptailed grouse
• Sage grouse
• Hungarian partridge
• Chukar
• California quail
• Snipe
• Woodcock
• Scaled quail
• Prairie chicken
• Mountain quail
• Doves
• Pigeons
• Ptarmigan, common name of birds of the genus Lagopus, species include:
  • Rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta) known as ptarmigan in Europe
  • Willow ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus) or willow grouse
  • White-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura) restricted to United States and Canada
• Wild turkey

United States

As of 2013 the population of upland game birds such as pheasants had been falling in agricultural states such as Iowa where increased commodity prices for crops such as corn had resulted in reductions in game habitat in acreage set aside in the Conservation Reserve Program. A significant reduction in the number of hunters over the previous 20 years was also reported.

• Baker, M. F. (1950). Prairie chickens in Kansas. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 53(3), 316-318 (abstract).
• Braune, B. M., & Malone, B. J. (2006). Organochlorines and trace elements in upland game birds harvested in Canada. Science of the Total Environment, 363(1), 60-69 (abstract).
• Clark, A. J., & Scheuhammer, A. M. (2003). Lead poisoning in upland-foraging birds of prey in Canada. Ecotoxicology, 12(1), 23-30 (abstract).
• Eng, R. L. (1986). Upland game birds. Inventory and monitoring of wildlife habitat. US Bureau of Land Management, Denver, Colorado, USA, 407–428.
• Evans, S. A., Redpath, S. M., Leckie, F., & Mougeot, F. (2007). Alternative methods for estimating density in an upland game bird: the red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus. Wildlife Biology, 13(2), 130–139.
• Kendall, R. J., & Scanlon, P. F. (1979). Lead concentrations in mourning doves collected from middle Atlantic game management areas. In Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (Vol. 33, pp. 165–172).
• Kendall, R. J., Lacker, T. E., Bunck, C., Daniel, B., Driver, C., Grue, C. E., ... & Whitworth, M. (1996). An ecological risk assessment of lead shot exposure in non‐waterfowl avian species: Upland game birds and raptors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 15(1), 4-20.
• Kreager, N., Wainman, B. C., Jayasinghe, R. K., & Tsuji, L. J. S. (2008). Lead pellet ingestion and liver-lead concentrations in upland game birds from southern Ontario, Canada. Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology, 54(2), 331–336.
• Leigh, W. H. (1940). Preliminary studies on parasites of upland game birds and fur-bearing mammals in Illinois. Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin; v. 021, no. 05.
• McCann, L. J. (1939). Studies of the grit requirements of certain upland game birds. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 3(1), 31-41 (abstract).
• Martin, A. C., Gensch, R. H., & Brown, C. P. (1946). Alternative methods in upland gamebird food analysis. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 10(1), 8-12 (abstract).
• Shillinger, J. E., & Morley, L. C. (1937). Diseases of upland game birds (No. 1776-1800). US Dept. of Agriculture.
• Stiver S.J (1984) The Himalayan Snowcock-Nevada's newest upland game. Trans. Cal-Neva Wildlife, 26, 55–58.
• Swank W.G (1977) Food of three upland game birds in Selengei Area, Kajiado District, Kenya. African Journal of Ecology, 15(2), 99-105.
• Tacha, T. C., & Braun, C. E. (1994). Migratory shore and upland game bird management in North America. The International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
• Trautman, M. B., Bills, W. E., & Wickliff, E. L. (1939). Winter losses from starvation and exposure of waterfowl and upland game birds in Ohio and other northern states. The Wilson Bulletin, 86-104.
• Tsuji, L. J., Nieboer, E., Karagatzides, J. D., Hanning, R. M., & Katapatuk, B. (1999). Lead shot contamination in edible portions of game birds and its dietary implications. Ecosystem Health, 5(3), 183–192.
• Wight, H. M. (1931). Quantitative methods in upland game bird investigation. The Auk, 48(4), 553-558 (abstract).