Northern Bobwhite
Colinus virginianus
Compiled by Niyati Acharya

The Northern Bobwhite is a medium-sized stocky quail, with a short beak, tail, and neck. A ground-dwelling bird, the Northern Bobwhite is rarely seen in flight, but its wings can be admired during courtship displays, when the males fan out their wings and quiver them on either side of their body while bowing.  Male Bobwhites are a pleasant rusty brown shade, with darker tones on their wings and crest of head. They have striking black streaks running alongside the beak and under the eye, which curve down to the throat.  This black streak is accompanied on either side by striking white feathers. The body of the Northern Bobwhite is streaked and spotted with shades of dull gray and russet shades of brown.

The species has a familiar call that sounds like “bob-white” that can be heard in the spring and summer.  Bobwhites are short, round birds that are on average eight to 11 inches in length from beak to tail tip.  They have rusty-red feathers mottled with white across their chest.  The males have a distinctive white eye stripe and white throat feathers, whereas on the females these white areas are more cream or tan colored.  There are 22 recognized subspecies of Northern Bobwhites that are distinguishable by their varying plumage.

The Northern Bobwhite is one of the best known and most studied of Texas birds.  It has aesthetic appeal, as well as being a game bird of high economic value.  Consequently, there is much interest in its conservation and management. Over much of the range of this species, including Texas, habitats of this quail are rapidly disappearing as well as those of many other associated wildlife species.  As a result, populations are declining.

Northern Bobwhites are not migratory birds, and are present year-round in the Southeast, Central, and Midwest U.S.  In addition to being widespread over most of the U.S.  Northern Bobwhites also spread down to Central America and even occupy tropical islands off of Florida’s coast, like the Bahamas.

It’s harder to spot a Northern Bobwhite, as the bird’s elegantly dappled plumage offers excellent camouflage. The species forages in groups, hurrying between cover or bursting into flight if alarmed.  Bobwhites have been in decline throughout the past half-century, partly due to habitat loss and changes in agriculture.  They are an increasingly high priority for conservation.

The Northern Bobwhite is unique because they are the only quail species native to the Eastern United States.  Bobwhites are in the family Odontophoridae or New World Quail, in comparison to Old World Quail in the family Phasianidae, such as the ring-necked pheasant.

Sources include: Allaboutbirds.org, Maconucd.org, txtbba.tamu.edu, birds.cornell.edu

Photo credit:  Maslowski, Steve,  Jessica Bolser/USFWS,  Sudia, Dan/USFWS, Fuertes, Louis Agassiz/USFWS