Range

This species is native to North America. Here they can be found in Cuba, Canada, Guatemala, Mexico and the United States.

Introduced populations have been established in China, the Dominican Republic, France, Haiti, Italy, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos Islands, Bahamas, Portugal, New Zealand the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Some of these introduced populations have since gone extinct. In parts of their natural range the species is declining.

Habitat

They make their home in forest, overgrown fields, shrubland and grassland. Areas managed with fire are preferred as they provide an open, grassy area.

Reproduction

Males court the female by turning their head from side to side, drooping his wings and fluffing up his feathers.

The pair will work together to find a nest site among dense growth. The nest is a shallow depression which is then lined with grass and leaves. An arch of grass and weeds may also be built over the nest to hide it.

In to the nest the female will lay between 12 and 16 eggs. These are colored white or buff.

Both sexes work together to incubate the eggs for the 23 to 24 day incubation period.

At hatching the young have downy feathers. By 1-2 weeks old they will make short flights.

A pair may produce two or three broods each season. New evidence suggests that pairs may change partners between broods.

Behavior

The northern bobwhite quail lives in groups known as a covey. These groups include 15 to 30 birds. These coeys will maintain a small home range.

At night the group will gather together. They huddle with their front facing out and the body touching to help keep them warm.

Most of their time is spent on the ground where they can hide better from predators. If threatened they are able to fly.

Predators and Threats

Natural predators of the northern bobwhite include birds of prey such as hawks, racoons, opossums, skunks and foxes.

Adults with chicks will flutter their wings to help distract predators from attaching the young.

Humans have impacted the population of northern bobwhites through changes in land use such as weed removal and the use of herbicides, forestry and habitat fragmentation.

In parts of their range this species is threatened through hunting. Small numbers may be collected for the pet trade and food.

Quick facts

As a popular gamebird this species has become one of the most studied bird species on Earth.