Hear a story about the northern bobwhite.
Hear a northern bobwhite.

from The Birds of Texas
by John L. Tveten

Its clear, whistled call is a familiar sound in the farmlands, thickets and open woodlands of the eastern and central states. Bob-white, bob-white, poor-bob-white, the charming little quail calls its name. To most people it is simply "bobwhite" or "quail," for no other quail species is native to the East. The full name, northern bobwhite, is applied by ornithologists because related bobwhite species occur in tropical America. Several species of quail inhabit the United States. Two, the northern bobwhite and the scaled quail, range widely in Texas, while two others, the Montezuma quail and Gambel's quail, can be found in the western Trans-Pecos.

The chunky, short-tailed northern bobwhite is a rich reddish brown, mottled and flecked with black, buff and white. The male has a white throat and facial stripe; those of the female are buff-colored. The species range across most of Texas but rarely occurs west of the Pecos River. Non-migratory, it remains throughout the year and breeds from early March into October.

This ten-inch eastern quail is a popular game bird. Because it breeds prolifically, the population can withstand heavy hunting pressure. Habitat loss, the scarcity of food and nest failure from drought or flooding present far more serious threats than controlled hunting.

Bobwhites feed and roost in coveys except during the nesting season. Freezing motionless at the first sign of danger, the covey explodes into the air with a loud whirring of wings when threatened. The birds roost in a compact circle heads all pointing outward, sharing their warmth and maintaining a clear flight path for each should they need to escape.

The family Phasiandae includes a number of popular gams birds and domestic fowl used as food around the world. They are chickenlike, ground-dwelling birds that fly strongly when pursued but seldom travel far. All possess short, strong bills and feed primarily on insects, seeds, berries and buds. This family includes the pheasant, grouse, turkeys and quail, as well as the wild precursors of such domestic birds as guinea fowl, peafowl and chickens.

Excerpts from The Birds of Texas by John L. Tveten with permission from Shearer Publishing, Inc.

 

More Bird Facts Texas is home to four species of quail - the northern bobwhite, the scaled quail, the Gambel's quail, and the Montezuma quail. Of these quail, the Gambel's is the only bird with a tear-drop shaped plume. The northern bobwhite stands around 9 to 10 inches tall. The male's throat and eye patch are white while the female's markings are a buff color. Bobwhites make their nests in long grass or brush. Their clutch typically consists of 10 to 12 eggs. Drought, floods and other natural causes can impact quail populations causing "crash and boom" cycles of reproduction. Rainfall affects quail populations because moisture in the soil is required to incubate the eggs. Rain also affects the growth of plants that quail depend on for food.

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