Aging Birds

The most accurate method for determining the age of gamebirds is the ‘bursa test’. All young gamebirds have a blind-ending passage above the vent called the bursa. This becomes much reduced or closes when a bird reaches maturity. By inserting the burnt end of a match-stick (it should be narrow but blunt) into the opening, the age of the bird can be established. The precise details for each species are dealt with in the individual introductions. This information is from The Complete Book of Game Conservation, a Game Conservancy publication.