Quail survival

Where are all of the quail? This is the question many conservation agents are being asked by quail hunters, and rightfully so. I just completed the quail survey for Daviess county. The survey consists of driving a predetermined route, at daybreak, under specific weather conditions, and counting the number of quail seen. I drove a 25 mile route at about 20 mph and didn’t see a single bobwhite.

In attempting to answer the question of why we aren’t seeing any quail, let’s first take a look at the bird and what it needs for survival. The bobwhite isn’t much of a traveler and will probably die within a half-mile of where he hatched in the first year of his life. For this reason it is necessary for them to have food, water, and cover within a few acres of one-another. Even if the basic needs for survival are met, the quail have other things to contend with such as predators, weather, and lack of habitat.

For an animal whose ambitions in life are to eat, sleep, raise a family, and say his own name every now and then, the quail sure has a lot of enemies. Besides the usual coyote, fox, bobcat, racoon and hunting pressure by man, the bobwhite also have to deal with hawks, owls, weasels, snakes, skunks, mink and feral house cats. Believe it or not an 8 ounce bird doesn’t put up much of a fight! Notice I did not mention the turkey as an enemy of the bobwhite. That is because contrary to popular belief turkeys do not eat baby quail. The thing to keep in mind when talking about predation affecting quail populations is that quail have always had to deal with predators, even when populations were booming a few years back. Also, all predators are opportunistic, meaning if their stomach is growling and they can kill it, it’s dinner time. No animal specializes in feeding on quail. This is why predation is not considered a significant threat to quail populations.

The quail just doesn’t know who to trust, even mother nature turns against him sometimes. Weather conditions such as fire, hailstorms, floods, ice storms, and heavy rain all play a role in a quail’s success, but harsh winters and summer droughts are the most brutal to them.

Although predators and weather are part of the equation when talking about quail, loss of habitat takes the prize as the number one reason for the decline in population. Even when discussing the threat of predation and weather conditions, lack of habitat is associated with both. If quail have a place to escape such as brush piles or thick fence rows, it will make it harder for the fox or house cat to catch them. Likewise if a quail is sitting on the nest and has good overhead cover it will be harder for hawks to make an easy meal of them. Also, a quail is more likely to survive a hard winter if they have dense cover to snuggle into.

One of the biggest factors affecting habitat is modern farming practices. The bat-wing mower could easily be listed as an enemy of the quail but it probably fits better down here. Besides unnecessary mowing; the removal of fence rows, promotion of fescue, planting to the road’s edge, and the use of pesticides all result in less habitat for quail to utilize. I guess it is like most things, it all boils down to money. Are we willing to sacrifice a few bushel of corn to preserve our natural resources? The good news is we don’t have to foot the bill for this. There are several programs available that will actually pay you to leave quail habitat. If you are interested in these programs give Doug Clemons a call. He is our Private Lands Conservationist and he may be reached at (660)663-3703. Something to keep in mind is what we call a weed patch, a covey of quail calls home.