Using supplemental food and its influence on survival of northern bobwhite(Colinus virginianus)

Biologists have debated the effectiveness of supplemental feeders as a mana gement tool for the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), but few extens ive evaluations have been conducted. We examined 783 crops from harvested b obwhites during 1992-1996 to determine effects of climatic stress in winter on use of supplemental feeders and their impact on survival rate in winter . Crops of bobwhites harvested from areas with supplemental feeders contain ed 28.2% supplemental food compared with 5.5% (P<0.001) for those from area s without supplemental feeders. Winter climate was not a significant predic tor of the proportional use of supplemental feeders. Rates of winter surviv al were greater on areas with supplemental feeders compared with non-supple mented areas in winters 1992-1993 (P=0.001) and 1993-1994 (P=0.002), but in 1994-1995, rates were greater on nonsupplemented areas (P=0.032). Cause-sp ecific mortality rates indicated that supplemental feeders did not predispo se bobwhites to hunter harvest or predators. Results suggested that bobwhit es can gain nutritional benefits from supplemental feeders during times of severe winter stress.