Bob White Quail

[jaxs]

Texas had a healthy population of Bob White up to early 80s then completely disappeared from majority of state by 1990 and population in the South-West where they survived dropped to as little as 10% of past. I understand quail disappeared from other areas. I'm interested in hearing past and present status where you are and what researchers are saying.

 

[dodge man]

In Western Illinois I see them once in a while but it’s a once or twice a year thing. They used to be more common 30 years ago. I’ve heard the turkeys being introduced has hurt their population because the turkeys break the quails eggs. I don’t know if that’s true or not.

 

[MotorSeven]

Does their population timeline decline match the invasive insidious fire ant invasion?

 

[Tinhack]

They're at/or under my bird feeders all the time. They don't fly up to the feeders. They usually bring the whole family in the spring. They keep coming back. This is pretty much a sanctuary for them. A lot of high grass in some areas. I've had to stop countless times in the driveway to let them pass. I put out corn, bird seed and fresh water every day. The other birds will practically land on your shoulder to hurry you up. I see them hopping up and down on the tree branches as if complaining that I'm taking too long to refill the feeders. It a riot.

Just had a hog eating the peanut butter and bread this morning. I put it out for the Kit Foxes. Even a few cats show up and eat it. I've had hogs, cats, foxes all eating at the same time. It's quite a menagerie here at times.

 

[paulsharvey]

In Western Illinois I see them once in a while but it’s a once or twice a year thing. They used to be more common 30 years ago. I’ve heard the turkeys being introduced has hurt their population because the turkeys break the quails eggs. I don’t know if that’s true or not.

So, as everything it's more than one cause. Avian Flu, coyotes, House Cats, ecr. People in bird community are some of the few that recognize just how destructive fertile cats are, and there aren't any real control measures, because they are cute and fluffy. Yes, there are some small cat and neuter programs, but not anything on the large scale elimination front.

 

[lman]

I've heard that they started disappearing around here when farms got larger and fence rows were removed resulting in loss of habitat

 

[HawkinsHollow]

There is a MeatEater podcast about this exact same subject. I have not listened to it but here is the link to the Youtube video of it. Let us know what you learned! BTW discussion of Quail doesn't start until 25 mins in

 

[Barry 1]

Had lots of them here in northern KY ,until the blizzard of '78 and haven't seen or heard any since.

 

[Riding a Relic]

We have them here, in East Central Alabama. We also have them on the other farm down there in North Central Fl every year, the little ones following behind their hen. I hear them here in Alabama every year but rarely see them, on my place.

 

[oosik]

I've got several, very healthy, families of CA Topknot quail here on the property. They seem to get along with the turkeys very well. They find year-round shelter in the old stump/slash piles from when I had the property selectively harvested.

Bob White - not in this part of the country.

 

[Valveman]

In our area the quail population declined rapidly after the pigs and fire ants moved in.

 

[Riding a Relic]

We have a healthy coyote population at both properties. Feral hogs are in spots close by, but none directly on top of us at either. I got something for them...just hard to catch them in daylight.

 

[John0829]

I can remember hunting them (in western KY) with my dad and uncle years ago and then they just seemed to disappear overnight. It has only been in the last couple of years that I have heard but not seen a few around. I do hope they are making a comeback but imagine it will be a long hard road with all the coyotes in the area. Even the rabbit population has been taking a hard hit these last several years because of the coyotes.

 

[RayIN]

Many years ago there was a healthy population of quail on our farm.
Then one year a neighbor bought a bird dog. He hunted that entire covey to extinction. I haven't seen another on our farm since.
Now the quail are gone and so is he and his dog.

 

[rgr33]

We have a flock of about 20 or so that seem to stay in about a quarter mile range from our home. We see them in our garden, they love the raspberry patch, and are often heard in the dense greenway surrounding the vineyard.

There is only one cat in the area, and he is old, bird feeders out all winter, water in the summer.
I try to be as bird friendly as possible, as they, along with the bats, eat a lot of crop damaging bugs.
We no not spray insecticides on our grapes, as wine makers consider that a deal breaker

 

[deserteagle71]

Not Bob-white but California quail around here. And they are everywhere. All over my place and my neighbors tell me their places also. I also see them running around in all the canyons in the back country also.
In my yard:

This time of year when the ground squirrels and other rodents spent most of their time underground the hawks eat quail. They swoop down and flush them; the quail panic and fly into the side of my house and kill themselves. Sounds like rocks hitting the house!

Then the hawks very calmly chow down on the quail, not even caring that I'm a few feet away taking their picture:

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

Ours started declining in the late 70's. By mid 80's they were hard to find. Now I never see a covey anywhere. I hear them in the evenings a few places but none come around like they did. We don't have a large turkey population but have fire ant issues that started about the late 90's.

 

[jaxs]

Thank you friends for reports on quail where you live. Several are also interested in attracting and preserving song birds. Cats are certainly efficient predators and often ambush birds concentrated near feeders. Here's how I've controlled wildlife and feral cat predation on free range chickens and grouse. Do this and feral cats will actually keep a distance. I suggest people feeding birds adopt one or more spayed cats to control rats and mice drawn to feed. I place a bird (often a baby) in a small wire cage tied to a solar fence charger. Wire on cage is hot and cage sits on pvc legs for insulation from earth. When soil moisture is normal I drive a copper coated stake for ground. In dry conditions a piece of 4x4 corral panel lays on ground beneath cage. I use a torch to apply bronze coating to a few inches of panel connected to driven rod by copper wire. Any predator that makes a grab for the bird gos away believeing that bird just put the worst wupping on him he's ever experienced and vows to never go near it again. I use a similar arrangement on brooder and other enclosures. Coyotes and others get the same message but you will get validation and reassurance by observing cats.
HawkinsHollow that u-tube was riveting. I'm acquainted with Dr Dale Rollins with A&M and his research on eye worms at Rolling Plains but this is the first I've heard of the Kendall's medicated feed. Thanks for posting.

 

[Yander]

Had lots of them here in northern KY ,until the blizzard of '78 and haven't seen or heard any since.

My dad was a big quail and pheasant hunter in the 70s and said the same. Ohio

 

[lman]

We have a flock of about 20 or so that seem to stay in about a quarter mile range from our home. We see them in our garden, they love the raspberry patch, and are often heard in the dense greenway surrounding the vineyard.

There is only one cat in the area, and he is old, bird feeders out all winter, water in the summer.
I try to be as bird friendly as possible, as they, along with the bats, eat a lot of crop damaging bugs.
We no not spray insecticides on our grapes, as wine makers consider that a deal breaker

I always though Bobwhite Quail were only in the eastern and southern USA. I hadn't seen any around here for years and then saw a couple a couple of years ago.
I remember when I was a kid hearing their whistle and I would whistle back. After whistling back and forth I could locate them.