Our farm is situated in the hills of southern Ohio, and as a boy it wasn’t unusual to hear bobwhites—nature’s little alarm clocks—calling most mornings. I assumed we would always have birds, but by the late 90s we began noticing a sharp decline in quail numbers on our land. Today, hearing a quail on our property is a special—and rare—treat.
Our story is not unique. Bobwhite quail populations have been declining across the eastern United States for decades. Many theories for the decline have been proposed, and they include everything from pesticides to predation to weather patterns and changing habitat landscape. But what’s the real driving force behind the decline of bobwhites—and can it be reversed?
Brad Fitzpatrick
Bobwhite Population Studies
In 1991, Dr. Leonard Brennan, a research scientist at Mississippi State University, published a paper titled, “How Can We Reverse the Northern Bobwhite Population Decline?” which outlined the dramatic decline of bobwhite populations in much of the U.S. In his paper, Dr. Brennan stated that 77% of the 31 states with Bobwhite populations had seen declines in bird populations between 1961 and 1988. Following Dr. Brennan’s call to action, agencies and organizations began investing a great deal of time and money monitoring bobwhite quail populations, and over time a clearer picture of the bobwhite’s decline has emerged.
The news is not good. A 2013 study that followed Dr. Brennan’s work found that 97% of the original 31 states had experienced bobwhite declines since that time, and the natural conclusion was that dramatic steps were required to increase (or at least stabilize) quail populations.
But to better address the declining quail population scientists had to first determine what was driving these population declines. After decades of research and countless unfounded theories, a clearer picture of the problem facing quail populations has emerged. According to Mississippi State University, the current and historic decline in quail populations is a result of forest succession, changing agricultural practices, fewer prescribed burns, and a gradual replacement of native grassland species with non-native grasses such as fescue.
Having written on wildlife population dynamics for two decades, this conclusion doesn’t surprise me. If you want more native species and higher populations on your property there’s one solution: improve the habitat. Whether you’re trying to reduce turkey and quail nest predation, grow bigger deer, or increase the population of cottontails on your property there’s one driving force that makes all this possible—better habitat.
What Quail Want—and How Land Managers Can Help
Quail prefer grassland habitat with a roughly even mix of native grasses and wildflowers. Their diet consists primarily of seeds like foxtail, and they may supplement that diet with agricultural plants. Quail also feed on insects, and more native plants mean a greater abundance of insects, and insect diversity is directly related to plant diversity, specifically native wildflowers that attract pollinating species. Grasshoppers, beetles, and other insects offer a ready source of protein for adult birds and chicks, and these and other insects will be attracted to areas with a mix of native grasses and wildflowers.
The grass/wildflower blend also provides valuable nesting and escape cover for birds. Unfortunately, bobwhites are on the menu for just about every predator species. Snakes, possums, raccoons, skunks, and other species target nests and hatchlings, and foxes, feral cats, hawks, and owls target adult birds. Since virtually every predator on your property targets quail at some point in their lifecycle, you’ll need to either reduce predator densities, improve escape cover, or both.
Predator control is beneficial, but there’s a catch. While trapping or hunting predators will reduce their populations and help quail in the short term, there’s a good chance that predator populations will rebound and you’ll once again be faced with the issue of killing predators to improve quail populations. In other words, it’s a long-term commitment. And even with the most dogged predator control efforts you may still find that the work doesn’t pay substantial dividends. It’s very difficult to dramatically reduce populations of all quail predators and keep those numbers low, and lethal control of species like hawks and owls is not an option because they are protected.
This leaves improving habitat as the most effective and efficient option. The good news is that productive habitat on your property acts as a safety blanket for quail of all ages. They’ll be able to forage on seeds and insects, nest, and rest on your property and will be afforded adequate production to increase their population.
Ideal Quail Habitat
A 2022 study headed up by Frank R. Thompson III of the USDA Forest service sought to determine which habitat types were most appealing to quail throughout the year. The research team used radio transmitters attached to quail to determine which habitat types were most attractive to the birds throughout the year as well as survival rates in those various habitat types.
The results of that study offer insight into the habits of bobwhite quail. During the breeding season, broods preferred habitat with native grasslands, and brood survival was discovered to be highest in grassland areas that had been grazed or burned within the previous two growing seasons. In the fall and winter, the habitat selection changed and the birds preferred woody edge density increased. Perhaps most telling, the authors stated that, “Fall and winter survival increased as distance from trees increased and decreased as distance to shrubs increased.” In other words, more quail were killed close to trees, and most survived in areas where native shrubs like eastern redcedar were close by.
This data helps land managers to begin to map out their ideal quail habitat. Brood survival during the breeding season was highest in areas with native grasses and wildflowers that had been grazed or burned within two years. In fall and winter, the birds were most successful in areas near food plots and agricultural crops that offered woody shrubs for protection from predators.
Properly managed quail habitat offers both summer grassland cover and winter cover near woody shrubs. The study suggested that birds were most successful in fall and winter near shrubs. The resulting landscape picture is an area with acres of native grassland—preferably grassland that is managed by grazing or burning—interspersed with food plots or agricultural land with several woody shrubs.
Danita Delimont
Seed Blends
BioLogic’s WhistleBack seed blend contains millets, milo, and sunflowers and serves as ideal summer feed for brooding birds. Not only can the quail feed on the abundant seeds, the plants themselves will also attract a variety of protein-rich insects like grasshoppers, ants, beetles, and crickets that serve as a reliable food source for the birds. Planted in the spring, WhistleBack grows to an ideal height to provide nesting cover to birds and protect them from predators. Larger plots make it more difficult for predators to locate nests and chicks, so devoting a few acres of your land to WhistleBack offers a simple solution to reduce predation on quail.
It’s not just quail that benefit from this type of planting, however. Turkeys, cottontails, other upland birds like pheasants and doves, and even waterfowl can utilize this seed blend. Planting WhistleBack along the perimeter of your food plots also creates additional bedding habitat for deer.
For predator reduction in the fall and winter WhistleBack or other seed blends may be planted near native shrubs. By creating this mosaic pattern on your property and combining grasses, flowers, and shrubs alongside your food plots or agricultural land you provide food and cover to a wide range of game animals and offer protection against predation. Essentially, you are creating a prime habitat landscape for a variety of different species and increasing the enjoyment you’ll get from your property. Deer, upland birds, small game, and turkeys will all find this type of planting attractive and allow you to hunt multiple seasons. Additionally, landowners should consider the value of selling a property that holds large numbers of many species. Would you rather buy a farm that is managed for deer or one that is managed for multiple species?
Whitetail and upland management techniques aren’t mutually exclusive. A few simple steps allow landowners to create ideal quail habitat that is beneficial to a variety of other game species. What’s more, you’re helping to manage America’s beleaguered bobwhite quail populations. Habitat is the critical component that has caused the recent downturn in quail populations, but landowners can help reverse the trend with wise management practices. If you can convince managers on neighboring properties to do their part to help quail everyone can benefit from increased bobwhite populations. Even if you don’t hunt birds you can still enjoy listening to the classic call of “Bob-WHITE” each evening, and you’re helping America’s favorite game bird return to the farm fields of the eastern U.S.
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