Bobwhite Quail
Scientific Name: (Colinus virginiana)
The Bobwhite Quail population in South Georgia has decreased in the last 30 years due to farmers heavy cultivation practices, restrictions on timber land prescribed burning and increased timber production.Bobwhite Quail mate in the spring of the year and they make a nest on the ground in areas of tall grass and vegetation by digging out a depression in the ground and then lining it with weeds and grass.Each pair of birds usually hatch one brood of an average of 14 eggs, which hatch after 23 days of incubation. Quail are very social birds and 10 to 30 will roost and feed together. This group is called a "Covey".The covey will stay together until the spring when they disperse to pair off and mate.The Bobwhite Quails' favorite foods are seeds,berries and insects although their diet covers a wide range of plant and animal matter. Quail are small birds weighing around 7 ounces. They stay on the ground most of the time, but can explode into flight if they think they are in danger. Quail usually live their life in about a 40 acre area and can live up to ten years if they can avoid predators and hunters.The males (called "roosters") are brighter colored than the females (called "hens). The 3 pictures shown above are of males or "roosters".
Bobwhite Quail Links/Websites::
Georgia Wildlife Federation Bobwhite Quail
