Upland game bird is an American term which refers to non-waterfowl game birdsingroundcover-rich terrestrial ecosystems above wetlands and riparian zones (i.e. "uplands"), which are commonly hunted with gun dogs (pointing breeds, flushing spaniels and retrievers).[1][2]
As of 2013 the population of upland game birds such as pheasants had been falling in agricultural states such as Iowa where increased commodity prices for crops such as corn had resulted in reductions in game habitat in acreage set aside in the Conservation Reserve Program. A significant reduction in the number of hunters over the previous 20 years was also reported.[3]
At least ten states have passed laws wherein there is a definition of "upland game" giving a list of species. These lists are not at all the same, and some of them contain non-avian species. These species are always listed by common name instead of by scientific name thus in some cases it is difficult to tell what actual species the law designates without other information. The following species appear on one or more state lists of "upland game."[4]