Northern Bobwhite
Colinus virginianus

Content and Photos by Eliana Patt

There are a number of birds that a Texas birder might call iconic, but in my opinion, the Northern Bobwhite numbers among them. Their soft onomatopoeic bob-white call is easy to recognize, but the species often proves a challenge to spot. Between males being largely a mottled brown- with the exception of their bold black-and-white patterned head- their diminutive size, and the natural flightiness of galliforms, one might be forgiven for assuming that the amount of effort it takes to find them has little to do with their overall rarity.

This is not the case.

Northern Bobwhites have had a precipitous decline in recent decades. One of the most prominent suspects for this decline is habitat loss, though not only due to development- Northern Bobwhites, like many shrubland and grassland species, are reliant on habitats that are by and large shaped by fire. Generations of fire suppression- alongside other factors such as agriculture mechanization and, yes, fragmentation and loss of habitat due to urban development- have lead to a monumental decline in the amount and quality of habitat available to this and other grassland and shrubland species.

Female Northern Bobwhites have a brown and yellow head as opposed to the males’ black and white.)

Fortunately, this species responds well to land management.

For those who may have visited Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge over in Colorado County searching for that critically endangered and elusive grouse, any number of Northern Bobwhites might serve as an excellent consolation prize. APC NWR is a coastal prairie managed with both prescribed burns and carefully calculated grazing rotations to maintain optimal habitat for the endangered prairie-chicken. This same habitat allows for an impressive number of quail, alongside other grassland species such as Grasshopper Sparrows and Dickcissels.

Of course, those of us in Travis County don’t have Attwater’s Prairie-Chicken, which serves as an umbrella species at the national wildlife refuge. An umbrella species is a high-profile, often charming, and very conservation-dependent species with specific habitat requirements that, by its very existence, pulls other vulnerable species in under their ‘umbrella’ of protection. Many conservation actions taken to preserve the umbrella species will in turn protect other vulnerable species (such as how Spotted Owl conservation must include old-growth forest conservation, which helps at-risk salamanders and mollusks).

Travis County doesn’t have Attwater’s Prairie-Chicken. We do, however, have Northern Bobwhites.

All photos taken at Choke Canyon State Park back in January. Was shocked at the boldness of this flock.

Focusing conservation efforts on Northern Bobwhites is nothing new, of course. Historically, these conservation projects have most often been lead, funded, and driven by bobwhite hunters, who have provided and continue to provide a number of invaluable contributions to the field. This includes one of the very first modern life history studies on a wild vertebrate, which was conducted on this species in the 1920s. Northern Bobwhites aren’t just charming and sharply dressed- they’re quality game birds with historical significance, especially for those of us in Texas.

This significance- and the vested interest we all have in their conservation- makes them an excellent umbrella species for other, less well-known grassland species in need of protection. To conserve the Northern Bobwhite, we must conserve and rebuild our grasslands, and if we manage to pull that off, who knows what else might come along for the ride?

When they’re not running away at top speed, they’re pretty cute!

Sources:

Texas A&M | Caesar-Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute | Hunters Are A Fundamental Component Of Northern Bobwhite Quail Conservation
American Bird Conservancy | Northern Bobwhite
USFWS | Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge | What We Do
USDA | Natural Resources Conservation Service | Working Lands for Wildlife | Northern Bobwhite, Grasslands, and Savannas – A Framework for Conservation Action