Introduced Birds of Illinois

Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus), Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido), Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), and Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) are all native to Illinois, but native populations have been supplemented to a greater or lesser extent by introductions or reintroductions, as described here (excerpts):

• Ruffed Grouse in NW Illinois may represent a remnant native population or wild dispersals from Wisconsin or Iowa. A very small population in Pope County may be the result of late 1950’s or early 1960’s releases of wild-trapped birds. All other populations in Union and Alexander county or extreme western Jo Daviess County are the results of wild-trapped birds released during the period 1982-94 and are not considered established.
  
  
• During the summers of 1991-98 Greater Prairie-Chickens from out-of-state were introduced into Illinois’ only remaining populations in Jasper and Marion counties.
  
  
• The native Wild Turkey population in Illinois was extirpated in the early 1900’s. Turkeys were first reintroduced in the Shawnee Forest in 1959 from out-of-state stock. Once established there, Illinois birds have been and continue to be introduced to unpopulated locations throughout the state.
  
  
• Peregrine Falcon was extirpated as a breeding species; the current breeding population is reintroduced.

Nine other species are known from established in Illinois solely as a result of human introductions: Mute Swan (Cygnus olor), Gray Partridge (Perdix perdix), Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), Rock Pigeon (Columba livia), Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto), Monk Parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus), European Starling (Sturnus vulgarus), House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus), and House Sparrow (Passer domesticus).

Source:
Illinois Ornithological Society. No date. Birds of Illinois.
http://www.illinoisbirds.org/illinois_list.html

Ruffed Grouse Introductions in Missouri

Thompson et al. (1997) describe the history and status of Ruffed Grouse in Missouri thusly (excerpts):

By the late 1950s, grouse were almost completely gone from the State, yet Ruffed Grouse habitat in many regions had recovered from earlier abuse. Unfortunately, few native birds were available to recolonize these areas.

The Missouri Department of Conservation began restoration efforts in 1959 and recently expanded these efforts. The Department obtains wild-trapped birds from other States and releases them into suitable habitat throughout Missouri, with the hope that they will breed and expand into surrounding areas.

In the above map (taken from Thomspon et al. 1997), dots represent Ruffed Grouse release sites throughout the State.

Source:
Thompson, Frank R., III, Deretha A. Freiling, and Erik K. Fritzell. 1997 (July 8; last revision). Ruffed Grouse in Missouri: its ecology and management. University of Missouri-Colombia Extension Division. http://mdc.mo.gov/manag/rufgrous/index.shtml

Ruffed Grouse Restoration in Iowa

Found nearly Statewide in the mid-1880s, deforestation and grazing of timber caused a dramatic decline of Ruffed Grouse populations, leading to their disappearance from southwest Iowa by 1900 and further population declines in the southern and east-central portions of the State by 1920. Grouse were restricted to their present range in the northeastern-most six counties by 1930.

This report (.pdf) documents in detail the releases of a total of 1,354 birds at 30 sites in 16 Iowa Counties in 15 different years, 1962-1999. The released birds had been live-trapped in four States (Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin) and northeastern Iowa.

The report concludes (excerpt):

Unfortunately, it may be futile to continue to attempt to re-establish grouse in southern and southeastern Iowa since the conditions that caused initial declines of grouse populations still exist and may actually be becoming more unfavorable. . . . additional releases can not be justified.

Source:
Iowa Department of Natural Resources. 2002 (October). Ruffed Grouse restoration. Pp. 160-167 in Trends in Iowa wildlife populations and harvest 2001. Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Conservation and Recreation Division.

Ruffed Grouse Transplants in Alaska

One rarely considers the relatively unspoiled wilds of Alaska when thinking about bird transplants, translocations, or introductions, but they have occurred, even in recent years. This report (.pdf, 27 K) discusses in detail a recent transplant of Ruffed Grouse, and mentions another in passing.

In an effort approved by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, 232 Ruffed Grouse live-trapped north of the Alaska Range in central Alaska were translocated and released at 3 different sites on the northern Kenai Peninsula, 1995-1997. Mortality was high, with just 3 (10 percent) of 30 radiocollared birds surviving more than 1 year. The report concludes:

Despite the high mortality rate of the radiocollared ruffed grouse, birds are being observed at all 3 sites. Grouse have dispersed into available habitat, located suitable forage and successfully reproduced. Monitoring to determine the success of the Kenai Peninsula ruffed grouse introduction is ongoing.

Funding for this project was provided by the Anchorage and Kenai chapters of Safari Club International, the Alaska Waterfowl Association, and The Ruffed Grouse Society.

Also, in 1988, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game initiated a 3-year project to transplant Ruffed Grouse from the interior of Alaska to the Matanuska/Susitna Valleys with the result that “Ruffed Grouse are now using suitable habitat throughout” the latter region.

Source:
Steen, Nicholas C. No date. Kenai Peninsula Ruffed Grouse transplant 1995-1997. Final report. Alaska Waterfowl Association, The Ruffed Grouse Society, and Safari Club International. 8 pp.