Chukartalk.com
Official Homepage of OUCH
CHUKAR HABITAT - FOOD
| Home Chukar Habitat The Dogs Hunting Tactics Where to go: Links Resources Pictures Site Map |
Chukars
eat a wide variety of foods; more, in fact, than the average
twelve year old boy, who subsists on six varieties of frozen pizza.
In a California study of chukar diets, 91 different
foods were found in the crops of 87 birds. While the birds
ate
sage,
thistle, dandelion, grasshoppers, ants, and even rodent feces, the
overwhelming favorite was cheatgrass. During the "wet" season (late fall through early spring), tender young cheatgrass shoots are the predominant food in many locales. Birds killed will frequently be stuffed with greenery, with a few small seeds and roots tossed in as condiments. When opening the crops of grazing birds, notice the
As spring arrives, chukars swing dramatically to a protein rich insect diet in anticipation of nesting season. Insects will continue to be the primary source of nourishment until the first frost. The growth and survival of young birds is heavily dependent on insect populations, particularly grasshoppers. Years with high insect populations usually see excellent survival rates for chicks. A lean grasshopper year typically means tough sledding for chukar hunters. After the first frost, insect rich diets yield to a smorgasbord of seeds and roots. Cheatgrass once again shows up in a majority of chukar diets, with the tiny black seeds present in a high percentage of crops examined. Because cheatgrass is so prevalent in chukar diets during hunting season, it is important to identify areas with good stands of the weed. Look for patches of light tan vegetation along the top half of hills. Chukars are particularly drawn to cheatgrass stands on or near the top of hills, since the added elevation is important for escape from predators (see terrain). |
