Native Quail

[beckyschicks]

I've been looking and are there any quail that are native to WI. I've heard that Bobwhites are but can't find them in my bird books or online. Just wondering. Thanks

 

[BobwhiteQuailLover]

I dont think there are any, but what kind do you have?

 

[JJMR794]

Colinus Virginanus--- The Bob White Quail. At 1 Point In Time Was Native To The Greater Wisconsin Area

 

[BobwhiteQuailLover]

Are they still native?

 

[beckyschicks]

I have coturnix and I know they are not. DH and I are having a "discussion" on Bobwhites. He thinks they either once were or still are. I don't think they are. He says maybe not native to WI but maybe some were introduced at one time and there are some that are wild here. I still say nope. We must be bored.

Thanks!

 

[beckyschicks]

Darn it! I hate being wrong. Say it isn't so!

 

[Rozzie]

Here is an article from the Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine, located on the website for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. It is from 2006.

http://dnr.wi.gov/wnrmag/html/stories/2006/jun06/quail.htm

Bobwhite quail are native to Wisconsin. They still exist naturally in the wild. However, the article states that Southern parts of Wisconsin are the extreme northern range for Bobwhite Quail. The article says that Southwestern Wisconsin has a small population -- about 40,000 -- of Bobwhite Quail.

While it does not mention Southcentral Wisconsin, I know for a fact that there were Bobwhite Quail in the wild there until about 20 years ago. I grew up in that area and our family farm had Bobwhite Quail. It had Bobwhite quail as long as the family had owned that particular piece of land (50s). I remember hearing them my whole childhood. There was hardly a day that would go by when I was a child that I didn't "talk" with the Bobwhites.

 

[wpalmisano]

Yes, like everyone says they were once plentiful. Here in New England we are losing farms at an alarming rate to houses and developments. Even in the rural area where I live, Bobwhite are few and far between.

 

[Denninmi]

Aren't wild populations of bobwhites in trouble almost everywhere. They certainly are here in Michigan. Our DNR came out with a report a few years ago that said Michigan's quail population had declined by as much as 90% in some regions, IIRC. I think it blamed predation from feral cats and native predators, habitat loss, and possibly disease spread by domestic poultry.

At least as a species it will survive, because it is easily raised in captivity. But in the wild things look bad.

They were common here when I was a kid in the 1960's and 1970's. I haven't seen or heard one in probably 20 years now.

It seems to me this would be a good species to try to reestablish through raise and release programs, but I guess if the habitat issues and predator issues aren't resolved, there isn't much of a point.

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
maybe up by the Dells a lot of Wi is so built up I kina doubt it

a lot of it is due to clean farming not as many hedge rows as there was back in the 50.s and 60's every inch is plowed and grown these days leaving nowhere for the birds to hide from preds