PÉREZ, J.A.; ALONSO, M.E.; PRIETO,
R.; BARTOLOMÉ, D.J.; GAUDIOSO,V.R. (2010). Influence of the breeding
system on the escape response of red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa). Poultry Science 89: 5-12.
ABSTRACT
This study aimed to determine the influence of the breeding system on the
escape response of red-legged partridges comparing 147 free-born partridges captured
in the wild (W) and 164 partridges from a commercial hunting farm with an
intensive production system (F). All birds were individually released to the natural
environment using wooden cages; the escape response was recorded with a high
resolution video camera and 4 behavior parameters were analyzed: reaction time
or latency, escape type, angle at the moment of flight start, and distance
flown. There were significant differences on the mean reaction time depending
on the origin of the partridges: 0.43 s, with a maximum of 9 s, for the W and
52.90 s, with a maximum of 120 s, in 32.3% of the F birds. Only one of the W
partridges (0.68%) escaped by walking, whereas all the other W birds, and 69.5%
of the F partridges, flew; the differences in the type of escape reaction between
origins were significant. Considering the angle of flight start, the
differences were also significant because 98.6% of W partridges showed less
than 45° angles, whereas 37.7% of F birds showed angles of more than 45°. Thus,
we can conclude that the breeding system has a great influence on the escape
response of the red-legged partridges. The intensive management production
systems used on the commercial game farms produced obvious changes in the
escape reaction of the red-legged partridges, and this could explain the low
ability of these birds to integrate and to survive in the wild due to the high
predation pressure they undergo when they are used in repopulation processes.
Key words: Alectoris rufa, intensive production, escape response, flight distance,
latency
doi: 10.3382/ps.2009-00170