Interim Report #21: Northern Bobwhite

Patience, Intelligence, Speed.  These are The Powers of the Quail.

The clear, whistled call of the Northern Bobwhite has long been a part of the essential summer experience in the Massachusetts countryside.  These small yet charismatic birds are a favorite among hunters and birdwatchers alike, and they have historically been found throughout the Commonwealth.  Recent years have seen their numbers declining, though, and wildlife managers scramble to save this popular quail in the face of a changing landscape.

Northern Bobwhites inhabit just about any sort of open country that affords some sort of cover – pasture with hedgerows, overgrown fields, natural forest clearings, and even power line corridors.  They will also inhabit mature forests that experience regular fire disruption.  Fire, in fact, has been key in maintaining the early-successional habitats that Bobwhites favor.  Human clearing for agriculture was of tremendous benefit to these plump little quail, allowing them to spread all over the state.  While they are widely hunted for food and sport, Bobwhites are prolific and can easily raise two broods of a dozen chicks each in one season.  Like many open-space species, however, Bobwhite has been declining with the re-foresting of Massachusetts.  During the Atlas 1 period, its distribution was mostly southeastern.

Plymouth, Bristol, and Barnstable counties accounted for most of the breeding Bobwhites in the state, along with stable populations on Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.  Scattered breeders were also present in Norfolk and Middlesex, with highly local confirmations elsewhere.  Many of these birds were likely from a southern subspecies, brought north and stocked for hunting.  These birds are not well-adapted to deal with the harsh, snowy New England winters.  Their presence weakens the overall population, but this is only one aspect of the problem.  Habitat loss, as is so often the case, hits harder than any huntsman’s rifle. 

The Northern Bobwhite has effectively been forced to retreat to Cape Cod with the expansion of suburban development and changes in modern agriculture.  Fields that previously had brushy hedgerows and abundant weeds have, in many places, been replaced by carefully controlled monoculture fields where all weeds are terminated with extreme prejudice.  The fire-dependent pitch pine forests of Cape Cod may be this species’ last hope.  The understory conditions in these forests are maintained by fire in an ideal condition for Bobwhites, while pitch pine and scrub oak mast ensures them abundant food.  In order to help the Northern Bobwhite recover, however, some serious land management changes would likely need to be made.  Farms would need to manage their fields in such a way as to offer the Bobwhites the food and brush cover they require, and some of our abundant forests would need to be carefully managed with fire to open them up for a comeback tour.

 

All historic information in the text comes from Mass Audubon's Breeding Bird Atlas 1 or the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's "Birds of North America" site (bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna) unless otherwise stated.

Photo credit: Vincent P. Lucas.  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License .

Comments

[Karen]

We live in Belchertown in western mass and have a male bobwhite in our yard this summer. We originally saw a flock but now just have the one male. we have never had them here before-we have lived here 15 years.

[Matt Kamm]

That's excellent news, Karen. Bobwhite sightings are becoming rarer and rarer these days, and most of the remaining birds breed on Cape Cod. A summer bobwhite so far west offers some hope that the species may be holding on in other parts of the state.

[Kim Mayer]

I heard the first Bobwhite that I have heard in Westport, MA yesterday. Persistent calling for awhile in the morning, so there could have been more than one. I grew up in Georgia, so hearing one here was a nice Father's Day present

[Lawrence marshall]

I recently spotted one in Woburn, ma while walking from horn pond. The bobwhite was perched on a wall between homes in a residential neighborhood. I photographed it several times with my camera phone. I had never seen one before and used the pics to identify it.

[Matt Kamm]

That's an exciting find, Lawrence! Bobwhites are becoming quite scarce outside Cape Cod, so to see one in Woburn is quite a treat. We here at Mass Audubon would love to see some of your pictures, if you're willing to share. Send them along to mkamm@massaudubon.org, and thanks for the comment!