1.1 Origins of Gamebird Terminology

Before discussing the origin of the terminology of gamebirds, the term gamebird must be defined. This term has been written in many forms, from gamebird to game bird to “game” bird. The original term gamebird referred to a bird which was hunted and thus was the “game.” In the broadest sense, gamebirds were those birds that were free living and were hunted primarily for food, and then later for sport. Hence, the collective term gamebird includes a variety of bird orders including the landfowl (primarily Galliformes), which mostly lived on the ground, and waterfowl (primarily Anseriformes), which spend their time associated with water bodies. There were also perching birds like the Columbiformes and Passerines which, while they also lived on land, could also roost above ground in trees. Because these birds were associated with different habitats, the hunting method used to capture this game varied.

Even before the use of the term gamebird, the term fowl, derived from the Old English fugel, was used to refer to a bird. The term was of Germanic origin from fluglaz, the general term for bird. The term fowl was replaced with the term bird. The first documented record of the use of the term fowl was in 1570. In recent times, the word fowl is more associated with the domesticated chicken and turkey. The terminology in the United States was also expanded to include domestic ducks and geese in this category. The word fowl can also be used as a verb, originated from the Old English fuglian, which means “to catch birds” as in the term fowling. The individual who caught birds for a living was known as a fowler and the fowling piece was the gun used to shoot wild fowl, as early as 1570s [1].

The interchangeable use of the terms fowl and bird led to many combinations such as gamebird/gamebird and game fowl/gamefowl. While we utilize the term gamebird to refer to those that were once hunted as game, the terms gamebird and game fowl have totally different uses and connotation. The term game fowl currently refers to roosters, known as “game cocks,” trained for cockfighting. While cockfighting is illegal in many countries, its origins can be traced back to Greece where it was to stimulate warriors preparing for battle [2]. It was likely adopted from ancient Persia but many believe that its origins are rather from South‐East Asia [2]. This pastime spread to Europe and England during the Middle Ages. It was brought to America by the English colonists. A Spanish variant of cockfighting was also introduced by Spanish settlers in the south‐western United States. This Latino variant of cockfighting spread along migration routes from recent immigrants from Mexico and Central America [2].

Because cockfighting is illegal, it is unfortunate that the term gamebird has a connotation with the illegal activity of game fowl and/or game cocks. Hence, it is extremely important to use the correct terminology. Many gamebird breeders want to ensure that the gamebird industry is not affiliated with illegal cockfighting activity so it is important to use the correct terminology.

While humans primarily hunted gamebirds, other closely related species that were hunted for game initially were also easily domesticated, including landfowl (chickens and turkeys) and waterfowl (ducks and geese). These birds were easily domesticated due to their docile nature, and they could be raised in large numbers to provide a constant supply of food for the home. Domestic fowl (birds) raised for meat and/or eggs are often referred to the collective term poultry [3]. The definition of poultry is any domesticated bird raised in captivity for meat, eggs, and feathers [3]. The word poultry originated in the late fourteenth century from pultry, a place where poultry is sold, from the thirteenth century Old French term pouletrie or “domestic fowl” [3]. In the broadest sense, gamebirds such as quail and pheasants that are commercially raised for meat and/or eggs can also be seen as part of the poultry industry but many such producers prefer to be called gamebird producers rather than poultry producers.

As humans depended less on subsistence hunting for food and agricultural farming became the predominant way of life, the domestication of poultry took place. The chicken and turkey, because of their docile nature, were now kept in larger numbers. As advances were made in raising birds in captivity, some gamebirds could also now be raised in captivity in large numbers, leading to the development of the modern gamebird industry.

According to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center [4], gamebirds are either native or nonnative birds that were historically either wild game or decorative fowl. Most of these birds are now raised commercially for their meat or eggs. Others are known as “flight‐ready” which means that they are released on hunting preserves or by state wildlife agencies. In this book, only gamebirds of the Galliformes order will be discussed, including guinea fowl, partridge, peacocks, pheasants, and quail. While the wild turkey is a gamebird and belongs to the Galliformes order, it is not raised commercially, and diseases of turkeys are discussed in books covering the common domesticated turkey. Other orders that can be considered gamebirds are pigeons, including squabs, and doves (Columbiformes), and swans, geese, and ducks (Anseriformes).

Galliformes gamebirds are unique as some are raised as flight ready, such as pheasants, partridges, and quail, while the majority are ornamental and raised for the exhibition or hobby market [5].

1.2 Birds as Game

The concept of hunting birds is as old as the history of humankind [5, 6]. Hunting involved the seeking, pursuing, and killing of game. Hunting for birds and other animals was a means of survival to provide food for self, family, and the community. Throughout the world, different trapping methods were developed to capture birds, utilizing their entire bodies for meat for food, feathers for clothing, decorations and bedding material, and bones for tools. Every part of the bird was fully utilized.

Not only have humans hunted birds for food, but some Galliformes were eventually captured and domesticated, including the chicken and turkey. Those that were not as easily domesticated remained in the free‐living state of forests and grasslands where they continued to be hunted. However, with increasing habitat destruction due to deforestation for farming and other agricultural purposes, the numbers of gamebirds have dwindled with resultant population declines. With these declines came conservation programs, some of the most successful being the greater prairie chicken of the great plains of the United States. Throughout history, gamebirds have been present [5].

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