Bobwhite Quail
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Northern Bobwhite | ||||||||||||||||
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| Image:Virginia-Wachtel 2007-06-16 059.jpg Bobwhite by Louis Agassiz Fuertes
Bobwhite Call: Media:Quey_bob_white.ogg
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| Colinus virginianus (Linnaeus, 1758) |
The Bobwhite Quail, Northern Bobwhite, or Virginia Quail, Colinus virginianus, is a ground-dwelling bird native to North America. The name derives from its characteristic call.
The Bobwhite Quail is a member of the group of species known as New World quail. This quail primarily inhabits areas of early successional growth dominated by various species of pine, hardwood, woody, and herbaceous growth. However, quail habitat varies greatly throughout its range which extends from Mexico east to Florida and north into the Upper Midwest and Northeast.
Bobwhites are distinguished by a black cap and black stripe behind the eye along the head. The area in between is white on males and yellow-brown on females. The body is brown, speckled in places with black or white on both sexes, and average weight is five to six ounces (145-200 grams).
It forms what are known as "coveys", groups of five to 30 birds, during the non-breeding season (roughly October-April). During the breeding season, typically beginning in mid-April, the Bobwhite coveys dissolve. Social pairs are typically formed between individuals of unknown relationship. These social pairings potentially result in the formation of a mate bond and subsequent female fertilization and egg formation. Eggs are laid at a rate of approximately 1 per day, and they hatch after 23 days. Eggs are normally white in color with a more pointed end than normal chicken eggs.
Both males and females can incubate nests, with most nests predominantly incubated by females. If the first clutch of eggs is unsuccessful, a breeding pair (may be the same pair or a different pair as that which led to the previous nesting attempt) will attempt to lay, incubate, and hatch additional clutches. If the clutch is successful, chicks are precocial and will leave the nest approximately 24 hours following hatching. The breeding season continues until mid-October, and successful nesters (females) can potentially lay, incubate, and hatch up to 3 clutches.
Bobwhites were previously classed with the Old World quails in the pheasant family Phasianidae, but are not particularly closely related. They and the other New World quails are now given their own family, Odontophoridae.
The Bobwhite's song is a rising, clear whistle, bob-Wight! or bob-bob-White! The call is most often given by males in spring and summertime.
The Bobwhite Quail is a popular and economically important gamebird, particularly in the US Southern States. Habitat degradation threatens wild populations, so it is propagated in captivity in large numbers for release on hunting preserves or natural areas as required by US wildlife agencies. It is also found in many aviaries and is on display in some zoos. In the southern U.S., pearl millet has been identified as a preferred food source for Bobwhite Quail.
[edit] Cultural references
- The Bobwhite Quail is the official game bird of the U.S. States of Tennessee Georgia And Washington State.
[edit] References
- BirdLife International (2004). Colinus virginianus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is near threatened
[edit] External links
- ITIS Standard Report Page: Colinus virginianus taxonomic details (includes subspecies)
- Northern Bobwhite Additional information, pictures, sound and video clips
- Aspects of the natural history, economic importance, and propagation of the bobwhite quail.
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology - Northern Bobwhite
- South Dakota Birds and Birding - Northern Bobwhite
- USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter - Northern Bobwhtie
- Stamps
- The Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative
Game Animals and Shooting in North America | ||
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| Game Birds: | Bobwhite Quail · Chukar · Hungarian Partridge · Prairie Chicken · Mourning Dove · Ring-necked pheasant · Ruffed Grouse · Sharp-tailed Grouse · Snipe (Common Snipe) · Spruce Grouse · Turkey · Woodcock | |
| Waterfowl | Black Duck · Canada Goose · Canvasback · Gadwall · Greater Scaup · Lesser Scaup · Mallard · Northern Pintail · Redhead · Ross's Goose · Snow Goose · Wood Duck | |
| Big Game: | Bighorn Sheep · Black Bear · Boar · Brown Bear · Buffalo · Cougar (Mountain Lion) · Elk · Moose · White-tailed deer · Gray wolf · Mountain goat · Mule Deer · Muskox · Dall Sheep · Polar Bear | |
| Other Quarry: | Bobcat · Coyote · Fox Squirrel · Gray Fox · Rabbit · Raccoon · Red Fox · Snowshoe Hare · Gray Squirrel | |
| See also: | Bear hunting · Big game hunting · Deer hunting · Waterfowl hunting · Wolf hunting · Upland hunting | |
pdc:Badriesli de:Virginiawachtel es:Colinus virginianus fr:Colin de Virginie ht:Kay hu:Virginiai fogasfürj no:Nordkrattvaktel
Categories: Near Threatened species | Odontophoridae | Game birds | Hunting in the United States | Birds of the United States | Native birds of the Plains-Midwest (United States) | Birds of Mexico | Birds of Cordillera Neovolcanica Mexico | Birds of Guatemala | Birds of the Bahamas | Birds of Cuba | Birds of the Dominican Republic | Birds of Puerto Rico | Birds of the Turks and Caicos Islands | Birds of the British Virgin Islands | Birds of the United States Virgin Islands
