What the Science Actually Says About Game Birds and Insects

Dr Rufus Sage, the trust's head of lowland game bird research, has just published a report drawing together two substantial PhD studies – one on species-rich grassland, one on woodland edges – to answer a simple question: do released game birds meaningfully deplete invertebrate populations in the wider countryside?

No Claim of Zero Impact

“Little or no effect,” is Sage's conclusion, based on three years of data across dozens of sites. Pitfall traps and other standard monitoring methods tracked ground invertebrate communities from a few hundred metres beyond release pens outward, comparing sites that release birds with those that don't.

That's not to say releasing has zero impact right by the pen – Sage is upfront about that. “Where birds are released… we do expect [invertebrate] communities to be affected, and that has been well documented,” he said. Pheasants do eat insects, though only incidentally: fecal sampling typically shows insect fragments in just “one or two percent” of samples – not the diet of a bird actively hunting bugs.

The Real Issue

The real issue, Sage argues, is congregation. Move a few hundred metres from a release pen and bird density drops off sharply, taking any localised effect with it. His advice for shoots is refreshingly simple: don't site pens or feeders in your most sensitive habitat, and let the rest of the management do its job.

Evidence Looks Good For Shoots

“Everyone's happy,” he said, before catching himself. “Well, no, everyone's not happy.” But the evidence, for now, looks good for shoots.

Listen To The Full Episode Now...

Dr Rufus Sage, head of lowland game bird research at the GWCT, joins the ShootHub Podcast to respond to claims made in the BBC's Secret Garden series, which suggested released game birds are damaging Britain's native ecosystems.

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