| Bobwhite Quail |
| Pg 2 |
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| Reproduction Females are attracted to males by their namesake call in early spring. This mating season lasts throughout most of the summer. An adult hen and cock quail will usually pair off for the entire season. Both birds take part in building the nest which is lined with dried vegetation after a small pit has been scratched into the ground. The hen starts laying eggs, 1 or 2 days after the nest has been completed. She will continue to lay 1 egg per day until a clutch of 12 - 15 eggs has been produced. Eggs are incubated for 23 days and the entire clutch usually hatches the same day. Both sexes will incubate and escort the brood but they are rarely alternated. Insects are then sought by the young chicks. It is during this 6 week period following incubation that insects play a key role in survival. The breeding season is when eggs, chicks and parents are very vulnerable. Success rates of nests range from 20 - 40% and will vary widely. Mortality Mortality is usually high in most bobwhite quail populations. Each year, approximately 75 - 85% of the quail present in the fall will die by the following fall, whether they are hunted or not. One of the most impactful sources of quail mortality involves the loss of habitat. Clean farming practices, increased use of herbicides and pesticides, removal of thickets, fall plowing, increased pasture acreage and establishment of open land to fescue and other cool season grasses all contribute to habitat loss. Excessive drought or rain also contributes to chick mortality. Other sources, though probably less significant include hunting, accidents, predators(e.g., raptors, fox, dogs, snakes, and others) and disease. Usually only 15 - 25% of the quail in a given population survive past 1 year. Home Range and Travel Habits As with most organisms, the size of a quail's home will be determined by the availability of resources. Typically, quail coveys range over an area of 15 to 100 acres with 40 acres being about average. Quail use different parts of the range during different times of the year to satisfy their basic needs. |
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