Codorniz norteña

The Northern Bobwhite, also known as Virginia Quail or Virginia Partridge, is in the same family as the Montezuma and Scaled Quails, but the bobwhite is the only native quail species in the eastern United States. This delightfully round little quail is capable of strong, short bursts of flight — particularly when fleeing predators — though they prefer to walk or run, scuttling about under the dense, low cover of vegetation in grasslands, agricultural fields, and open forests.

The Northern Bobwhite is more often heard than seen, its namesake whistled bob-white! call sounding from the brushy undergrowth, where their dappled brown-and-white plumage provides excellent camouflage. But sometimes, especially when calling in spring, males will occupy highly visible locations, perching atop fenceposts and tree limbs.

A popular game bird, the Northern Bobwhite has a whopping 22 subspecies across its range, one of which — the Masked Bobwhite — is federally listed as Endangered. Its status as a game bird has made it one of the most well-studied birds in the world, and scientists have observed sharp declines, likely owing to multiple causes that include habitat loss and the increased use of pesticides.

Populations of Northern Bobwhite plunged between 1966 and 2019, resulting in an overall decline of 81 percent, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey. Partners in Flight considers the Northern Bobwhite as a “Common Bird in Steep Decline.” For years, an explanation for such drastic declines has been elusive. However, most biologists agree that multiple causes are to blame.

Northern Bobwhites and other grassland species need our help to overcome the threats they face from habitat loss, pesticides, and other dangers. With science as our foundation, and with inclusion and partnership at the heart of all we do, we take bold action for grassland birds.

The Northern Bobwhite is a small quail with a rotund, reddish-brown body marked with intricate black, white, and brown scaled or speckled patterns. There are 22 recognized subspecies with plumage that varies across the species’ range, but most males have very distinct black and white markings on the head, with white stripes above the eyes and on the forehead and throat, which are offset by a thick black outline. Females have a buffy throat and eye stripe.

Although best known for its namesake whistle, the Northern Bobwhite also employs a wide variety of other calls for different reasons. This repertoire has been grouped into different categories comprising group movement, feeding, predator avoidance, and reproduction.

Both male and female Northern Bobwhites give a number of group movement calls (also called separation or scatter calls) that reunite separated pairs and coveys, or maintain contact while feeding. Adult bobwhites with chicks give a special soft call while using their beaks to direct the young ones towards food. When threatened by predators, the bobwhite’s calls vary according to the nature of the threat (Is it coming from the ground or the air? Is it approaching or has it passed by?). Yet another set of calls is employed during the courtship, breeding, and nesting phases of this bird’s life cycle.

Northern Bobwhites make their homes year-round in a variety of open habitats, typically preferring areas that have been recently disturbed by fire, farming, or other events over mature woodlands.

• Lives in grasslands, open pine-hardwood or pine forests, agricultural fields, brushy meadows, overgrown fields, and rangelands
• Requires woody cover to keep foraging habitat clear of snow in the northern parts of its range

Each fall, Northern Bobwhites form groups, or coveys, of three to 20 birds. At night, these coveys roost in a close-packed, outward-facing circle with their tails pointing toward the center, probably to conserve heat and stay alert for predators. As a very social species, they stay in coveys until the beginning of nesting season each spring, when they begin to pair off.