Large numbers of gamebirds (pheasants Phasianus colchicus, red-legged partridges Alectoris rufa and mallard Anus platyrhynchos) are released annually in the UK to support recreational shooting. It is important to know how many of these birds are being released because their release and management has ecological effects on the wildlife and habitats of the UK. There is little regulation governing their release, and consequently, an accurate figure for the numbers being released is unknown. I took 12 different approaches, totalling 4329 estimates of the numbers of birds being released annually, based on a series of datasets that described numbers of birds being held for breeding, rearing or release, being released, managed or shot on game shoots, being shot by individual guns or being recorded during breeding bird surveys. These 12 approaches produced estimates ranging from 14.7 to 106.1 million with a mean of 43.2 million (95% CI 29.0–57.3 million). This suggests that 31.5 million pheasants (range 29.8–33.7 million), 9.1 million red-legged partridges (range 5.6–12.5 million) and 2.6 million mallard (range 0.9–6.0 million) are released annually in the UK. These figures differ substantially from both official records of gamebirds and previous published estimates, and I discuss why such differences may occur. I set these figures in the context of the number and behaviour of shoots operating in the UK. Improved estimates of numbers of gamebird being released are critical if we are to better understand the ecological effects occurring in areas where they are released and managed.

gamebirds的大量（雉鸡雉鸡，红腿石鸡石鸡RUFA和绿头鸭肛门绿头鸭) 每年在英国发布，以支持休闲拍摄。了解这些鸟类中有多少被释放很重要，因为它们的释放和管理会对英国的野生动物和栖息地产生生态影响。几乎没有管理它们的释放的规定，因此，释放的数字的准确数字是未知的。我采用了 12 种不同的方法，基于一系列数据集，对每年被放生的鸟类数量进行了 4329 次估计，这些数据集描述了为繁殖、饲养或放生、放生、管理或射击游戏拍摄、被射杀的鸟类数量由个别枪支或在繁殖鸟类调查期间被记录。这 12 种方法产生的估计值范围为 147 至 1.061 亿，平均值为 4320 万（95% CI 为 2900 至 5730 万）。这表明 31. 英国每年释放 500 万只野鸡（范围 29.8-3370 万）、910 万只红腿鹧鸪（范围 5.6-1250 万）和 260 万只野鸭（范围 0.9-600 万）。这些数字与游戏鸟的官方记录和之前公布的估计有很大不同，我将讨论为什么会出现这种差异。我在英国拍摄的数量和行为的背景下设置了这些数字。如果我们要更好地了解在它们被释放和管理的地区发生的生态影响，改进对被释放的猎鸟数量的估计是至关重要的。这些数字与游戏鸟的官方记录和之前公布的估计有很大不同，我将讨论为什么会出现这种差异。我在英国拍摄的数量和行为的背景下设置了这些数字。如果我们要更好地了解在它们被释放和管理的地区发生的生态影响，改进对被释放的猎鸟数量的估计是至关重要的。这些数字与游戏鸟的官方记录和之前公布的估计有很大不同，我将讨论为什么会出现这种差异。我在英国拍摄的数量和行为的背景下设置了这些数字。如果我们要更好地了解在它们被释放和管理的地区发生的生态影响，改进对被释放的猎鸟数量的估计是至关重要的。