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banded in 2007, and Nemaha, banded in 2009, have nested at the Westar Energy building in Topeka, Kan., since 2011. Mintaka, banded in 2010, has been the resident male at the Woodmen building in Omaha since 2012. Clark, banded in 2012, occupies a nest site at the Omaha Public Power District's North Omaha Power Station. In 2015, the Capitol falcon pair produced "Orozco," which was named in honor of fallen Omaha Police Officer Kerrie Orozco. The peregrine falcon project and streaming video are supported by funds from the Wildlife Conservation Fund. P H E A S A N T P O P U L A T I O N S R E L Y O N M I X E D L A N D S C A P E S In 2010, the Commission partnered with Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln to examine pheasant habitat use and identify what landscape attributes are most important. Research shows that the Panhandle and southwestern Nebraska represent pheasant habitat strongholds, most likely due to the diverse mix of agricultural landscapes (including small grains) surrounding blocks of Conservation Reserve Program lands and grasslands. Spatial models were developed to help identify areas of the state where pheasant abundance is predicted to be highest in the future. The project has since expanded and researchers are now evaluating the direct and indirect impacts of harvest management practices on pheasant populations, reproductive investment and chick survival. Preliminary results suggest that hen pheasants on high pressure hunting sites significantly increase their home range and may invest less in reproduction the following spring. Ongoing pheasant research will inform the Commission about how habitat and harvest management strategies can help maintain huntable pheasant populations in the future. RING-NECKED PHEASANTS IN FLIGHT SOUTH OF HAY SPRINGS 2015 Annual Report • Nebraska Game and Parks Commission 13