
Rodent populations act as a buffer for
Additional Information
quail populations as raptors and other
predators look for prey.
Additional sources for information regarding

In general Quail are monogamous and
will raise the brood together as a
breeding pair.
Northern Bobwhite Quail can be found at:

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
www.tpwd.state.tx.us

Like many other upland birds quail are
ground nesters and are shy and elusive.

Tall Timbers Research Station (Georgia)
www.talltimbers.org

Diet consists of vegetation (seeds, legumes, and forbs) and arthropods.

The average clutch size is 12-14 eggs

Texas Agrilife Extension ( Texas A&M Univ.)

Quail Unlimited
www.qu.org
with an incubation period of 23-24
days.

Increasing the quality of habitat and the

J. W. Jones Ecological Research Station
www.jonesctr.org
amount of contiguous acreage is needed to support viable quail populations.
Thanks to the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory,
and participants of the Great Texas Birding
Classic of 2011 for their financial support and
making this work possible .
The Nature Conservancy
3888 Highway 327 Silsbee, TX 77656
Phone: 409-658-4300
Website: www.nature.org
Improving Habitat for
Northern Bobwhite Quail
in Southeast Texas
Northern Bobwhite Quail
Historically, Southeast Texas was home to a great
Habitat Restoration
forested landscape where native flora and fauna
Restoration and management activities at the
flourished. The Northern Bobwhite Quail has
Sandyland Sanctuary help foster ideal habitat
been struggling due to the fragmented ecosystem
for the Northern Bobwhite Quail. A grant
and lack of fire, and has been in steady decline
from GCBO (Gulf Coast Bird Observatory) has
for the past 30 years. However, the Northern
enabled to focus our restoration efforts on
Bobwhite Quail still have a few places in Texas
priority sites around the preserve. The use of
where populations are somewhat stable ( North-
prescribed fire is the single most important tool
west and South Texas). Landowners, conserva-
for the restoration of Bobwhite Quail and
tion groups, and foresters are working on creat-
Longleaf Pine. Prescribed burning reduces the
ing better habitat to help rebound the population
underbrush in the forest and stimulates grasses,
and answer why we are seeing decline in quail
forbs, and wildflowers needed for Bobwhite
numbers.
reproduction and survival. Herbicide is used
The historic range of the Northern Bobwhite
to control undesirable brush, hardwood re-
Quail (Colinus virginianus) extended from the
sprouts, and invasive and/or exotic plant spe-
Great Lakes to Pennsylvania South to Florida,
cies. Mechanical treatments (mowing) is used
through Nebraska, and extending to westernmost
to reduce the underbrush and stimulate more
surveys to establish a baseline estimate for the
quail population on the preserve. Point
count surveys are conducted along 8 different
routes throughout the preserve. Each survey
route is approximately 1 mile long with 8
stops along the route. At each of the numbered stops along the routes participants stop
and listen for the strong, clear Bobwhite whistle (“bob-WHITE”) for 5 minutes before moving to the next stop. The surveys start at sunrise and must be finished by 10:00 a.m. The
male Bobwhite is calling to attract females to
his territory, he will continue to call until he is
paired up and has a brood, or the breeding
season has ended.
Northern Bobwhite Quail Facts
Texas. In Texas
herbaceous groundcover. Mechanical harvest-
Northern Bob-
ing and chainsaw felling are used to thin
white can be
dense slash pine and loblolly pine stands and
mortality rate from year to year
found in open
provide openings for natural regeneration of
(~80%).
woodlands,
longleaf pine. Trapping and removal of feral
grasslands,
hog control is underway to limit habitat loss


Northern Bobwhite Quail have a high
Quail populations have a direct correla-
open fields, the brush country of South Texas to
and soil disturbance from this destructive inva-
tion with the amount of annual precipi-
the arid landscapes of West Texas. In Southeast
sive species. Other ground nesting birds bene-
tation.
Texas, The Nature Conservancy operates the Roy
fit from this restoration work.

E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary. A 5,654 acre preserve in Hardin County, focusing efforts to re-
Sandyland Quail Surveys
store the native longleaf pine forests and natural
The Sandyland Sanctuary is conducting quail
processes.
Following prescribed fire quail have suitable habitat for 2-3 years.