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HOME Bird name:

Northern Bobwhite

Colinus virginianusOrder: GALLIFORMESFamily: Quails (Odontophoridae)

Breeding Location:

Scrub vegetation areas



Breeding Type:

Monogamous



Breeding Population:

Declining, Common locally



Egg Color:

Cream



Number of Eggs:

14 - 16



Incubation Days:

23



Egg Incubator:

Female



Nest Material:

Weeds, grasses, dead vegetation



Migration:

Nonmigratory



Splitbar
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Overview

Northern Bobwhite: Medium, morphologically variable quail, most with unique head pattern of white face and throat, dark eyestripe, rufous-brown (eastern and Great Plains) or black (Florida) center stripe on top of head. Body shows a mottled combination of black, brown, rufous-brown, and gray.

Range and Habitat

Northern Bobwhite: Found in a variety of early successional brushy, forested, and agricultural habitats throughout much of the eastern U.S.

Breeding and Nesting

Northern Bobwhite: Monogamous and solitary. Both sexes build scape nest of grasses, weeds, dead vegetation. Female usually incubates fourteen to sixteen cream eggs alone for 23 days, males have been documented incubating occasionally. Precocial, downy young are able to walk and find insect food almost immediately upon hatching. Family groups may stay together through late winter.

Foraging and Feeding

Northern Bobwhite: Feeds on a variety of seeds, by ground foraging, occasionally consumes green vegetation and insects. Seed diet extremely diverse, includes wheat, corn, soybeans, legumes, pine and oak mast, and grasses.

Readily Eats

Cracked Corn

Vocalization

Northern Bobwhite: Song a clear, whistled "bob WHITE" or "pup WAAAYK." Several different call notes include soft "hoy", moderate "hoy-poo", and loud "koi-lee." Alarm call a harsh "quaee." Some geographic variation in vocalizations.

Similar Species

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Copyright © 2005 WBFI Research Foundation Bird database and its related content and media is Copyright (C) 2002 - 2005 Mitch Waite Group All rights reserved.

Family Pheasants, Quails and Partridges (Odontophoridae)_blue
Species Colinus virginianus
Length8.5 - 10.5 Inches
Wingspan13 Inches

Northern Bobwhite

Northern Bobwhite: Medium, morphologically variable quail, most with unique head pattern of white face and throat, dark eyestripe, rufous-brown (eastern and Great Plains) or black (Florida) center stripe on top of head. Body shows a mottled combination of black, brown, rufous-brown, and gray.

● Song: "bob-WHITE", "pup-WAAAYK", "hoy", "hoy-poo", "koi-lee", "quaeek"

● Foraging & Feeding: Northern Bobwhite: Feeds on a variety of seeds, by ground foraging, occasionally consumes green vegetation and insects. Seed diet extremely diverse, includes wheat, corn, soybeans, legumes, pine and oak mast, and grasses.

● Breeding & nesting: Northern Bobwhite: Monogamous and solitary. Both sexes build scape nest of grasses, weeds, dead vegetation. Female usually incubates fourteen to sixteen cream eggs alone for 23 days, males have been documented incubating occasionally. Precocial, downy young are able to walk and find insect food almost immediately upon hatching. Family groups may stay together through late winter.

● Similar species:

Flight Pattern

Alternates series of rapid stiff wing beats with short glides.
Northern Bobwhite Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Northern Bobwhite: Found in a variety of early successional brushy, forested, and agricultural habitats throughout much of the eastern U.S.
BreedingMonogamous
PopulationDeclining, Common locally
MigrationNonmigratory
Weight6.3 Ounces