Pheasants Found dead due to Winter Exposre

1pheas4

1pheas4

Moderator
This is a good example of what can happen when pheasants die due to ice "balls" forming in their beaks/nostrils. These two wild pheasants were found dead in cattails a couple days ago while pheasant hunting in South Dakota. I have a VIDEO at the bottom of the last photo--1pheas4
High winds, blowing snow, sub-zero temps, and a lack of quality habitat in that particular area caused the death of these otherwise health wild roosters.
137_2393.jpg

southdakota2011018.jpg

southdakota2011019.jpg


VIDEO http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axRPXuCjVYc
 
Last edited:
What a shame. This is sound proof that you need heavy cover and shelterbelts for birds to survive the brutal winters. It's unfortunate, but thanks for sharing.
 
1pheas, great report, photos and videos. i have never seen anything like that. Just a an aside I would asy that the one pheas looked like it got shot through bottom of beak and then died of complications and could the other one have been a blinder hole? Not sure at all as I have not see a blinder bird in a while. Just a thought.

Great video. Nice job.
 
I'm thinking the birds were found on top of the snow, visible.
Easy for a hunter to find. Hard to say unless your there.
Cattails bring a lot of birds though the tough winter storms. So does a thick patch of Russian Olives.:)
 
UGUIDE said:
1pheas, great report, photos and videos. i have never seen anything like that. Just a an aside I would asy that the one pheas looked like it got shot through bottom of beak and then died of complications and could the other one have been a blinder hole? Not sure at all as I have not see a blinder bird in a while. Just a thought.
Great video. Nice job.
Click to expand...

Thanks UGUIDE. Both Birds are confirmed wild (no blinder holes in nostils).

These two pheasants were sitting next to each other in a roost position with their heads were pushed down in the snow. Their heads were most likely pushed downward when they were in their last seconds of life.

Both are two year old wild birds. Before their death ice formed, expanded, and split the beak and/or blocks the nostrils.

The first bird has a "ball" of ice blocking his nostril (the ice ball was bigger prior to bringing him back home with me).

The second bird (were it looks as if he was shot through the beak) is a classic case of an ice "ball" expanding to the point were it pushed the pheasants beak out ward until it busted through the top and bottom.

Both cases are very typical of what happens to pheasants without good wintering habitat. --1pheas4
 
Not sure where in SD these were found but a big chunk of the state had some freezing rain last week and that is when I have seen the most pheasants die. Their beaks basically freeze shut as they get covered in rain. Freezing rain much more deadly than snow for pheasants.
 
Wirehairs said:
Not sure where in SD these were found but a big chunk of the state had some freezing rain last week and that is when I have seen the most pheasants die. Their beaks basically freeze shut as they get covered in rain. Freezing rain much more deadly than snow for pheasants.
Click to expand...

Wirehairs your right, freezing rain is deadly for pheasants. In this case that was not what killed them. Blowing snow, very cold temps, and strong cold wind causing "red" ice or an ice ball killed them.

The cattail area they were found in wasn't big enough to block drifting blowing snow and sub-zero high winds/temps.

What happens is the nostrils get blocked with ice that forms from breathing/condensation. The birds then open their mouths to breath. Next an ice ball or what is known as "red" ice forms inside their beaks. As the ball grows it expands and busts their beaks open.

The bird that dose not have the split beak didn't make it far enough for the ball to form inside the beak. The ice ball or "red" ice formed around the nostil and suffocated him. It didn't get to the point of "red" ice forming inside his mouth/beak as did the bird with the broken beak. --1pheas4
 
WOW!!!!! That is something I have never seen or wouldn't know otherwise until now!! Thanks for sharing!!! Great post!!!:10sign:
 
Excellent thread and very informative. The wind, together with freezing rain, or blowing percipitation, is the a key factor, the pheasants would normally turn their backs to the wind, can't because the cold freezing wet stuff gets under their feathers, so they turn into the wind to deflect the wind driven moisture, leading to the ice ball effect, as described. Sharptails and prairie chickens have nose flaps thar they can open and close to prevent this very thing. They don't call them natives for nothing!
 
tmrichardson said:
Don't get me wrong the need for winter cover discussion is great--but I'd rather not see people thinking cattail marshes aren't great winter cover, particularly if they reach larger acreages so much of them won't fill in with drifts.
Click to expand...

I would whole heartedly agree. Just to make it clear as to not mislead people about the importance of cattails, these birds were found in a small section of cattails were they were filled with snow drifts. Large areas of cattails are vital to pheasants in winter months. --1pheas4
 
The bird on the left looks as if his tail also got froze into ice or snow and then he pulled it out. I have seen that a lot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top