Ibis (2008), 150 (Suppl. 1), 37–44 © 2008 The Authors Journal compilation © 2008 British Ornithologists’ Union Blackwell Publishing Ltd Nest predation of Common Pheasants Phasianus colchicus ROGER A. H. DRAYCOTT,* ANDREW N. HOODLESS, MAUREEN I. A. WOODBURN & RUFUS B. SAGE The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, Fordingbridge, Hampshire SP6 1EF, UK The Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus is currently the most abundant, widespread and economically important gamebird in Europe. The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust has undertaken several recent studies of Pheasant breeding ecology to improve the management of this species. Although predation is often the most important cause of nest failure in declining ground-nesting birds in agricultural landscapes, the causes of predation and the identity of predators are often unknown. In this paper, we analyse data from approximately 450 nests of radiotagged hen Pheasants collected from six sites between 1990 and 2003 and present results on the fate and survival rates of Pheasant nests in relation to habitat, predation control and other covariates. Survival rates during the laying stage and incubation stage were 28 and 37%, respectively, and overall nest survival was 10%. Nest predation rates were significantly lower on two sites where intensive predation control was undertaken than on four sites with only low levels of predation control. Red Foxes Vulpes vulpes and corvids were the most important nest predators, accounting for at least half of all predation events. We assess these results in the context of other ground-nesting farmland birds. Keywords: corvid, Corvus corone, Red Fox, nest survival rate, predator control, Vulpes vulpes. Loss of habitat and declines in habitat quality as a result of agricultural intensification are widely regarded as the primary causes of the declines of many farmland birds that have been observed across Europe in the past 30 years (Tucker & Heath 1994, Chamberlain et al. 2000, Robinson & Sutherland 2002). However, several recent studies of declining ground-nesting birds have recorded high levels of nest predation. For example, in studies of Northern Lapwings Vanellus vanellus (Milsom 2005), Skylarks Alauda arvensis (Donald et al. 2002), Corn Buntings Miliaria calandra (Brickle et al. 2000) and Yellowhammers Emberiza citrinella (Bradbury et al. 2000), 57, 34, 37 and 42% of nests were depredated respectively. In these studies, predation was the most important cause of nest failure, yet little information was provided on the identity or relative importance of different predators. Nest predation rates can have a significant effect on population dynamics of a range of species (Côté & Sutherland 1997, Newton 1998, Evans 2004) and there is growing evidence that breeding populations of some ground-nesting birds are limited by predation (Gibbons et al. 2007). High predation rates could be the result of higher densities of common opportunistic predators, especially corvids and Red Foxes Vulpes vulpes (Evans 2004, Baillie et al. 2007, Gibbons et al. 2007), or the increased vulnerability of nests caused by a reduction in habitat quality (Evans 2004). Increased rates of predation and habitat degradation are closely linked, as habitat degradation can make prey more vulnerable to predation (Whittingham & Evans 2004). Many species of farmland birds nest on or close to the ground, and hence are vulnerable to a wide range of predators. For example, the Common Pheasant Phasianus colchicus (hereafter Pheasant) is a precocial ground-nesting species that is especially vulnerable to predation during nesting and brood-rearing (Hill & Robertson 1988, Riley & Schulz 2001). To reduce predation rates on gamebird nests, predator control (in particular the control of nest predators in spring) is often undertaken by gamekeepers on shooting estates (Tapper et al. 1996, Draycott et al. 2002). Despite the difficulties in obtaining both qualitative and quantitative data on nest predation, predator *Corresponding author. Email: rdraycott@gct.org.uk Conflict of interests: The authors declare no conflict of interests.