Releasing Bobwhite Near Our Property?

[oktx]

So I was thinking of hatching out and releasing some bobwhites into the creek or park area near our house. What are the potential problems/issues with this? We live in an urban environment but very close to a large city park and another even larger city park. In addition, our house backs up to a city runoff creek that is heavily wooded. Bobwhites are native to Oklahoma so that would not be an issue but I am wondering what considerations I need to make before deciding whether or not this is a good idea.

 

[Ntsees]

Unfortunately, there's a high probability that you'll be feeding the local cats and other predators (ground and aerial).

 

[oktx]

Wouldn't that be true of any ground dwelling prey animal? We have rabbits, moles and ducks all living either in the creek behind us or in the park across the street. I've even seen opossums nearby.

 

[Quailsong]

Wouldn't that be true of any ground dwelling prey animal? We have rabbits, moles and ducks all living either in the creek behind us or in the park across the street. I've even seen opossums nearby.

Once you raise them, they no longer know how to defend themselves in the wild. Sure they may last up to a week, but they don't know all the little tricks a wild mother would teach their babies.

Instead, your released quail will be looking for food dishes, water nipples, & human activity to find their food. This could lead them into backyards with dogs, cats & so on.

Better option imo is to make areas where wild quail can feel safe and flourish. Keep it free from most predators, trap wild cats, etc.

 

[Bparrott85]

Idk about Oklahoma but its illegal in Tennessee without the proper permits too

 

[oktx]

Idk about Oklahoma but its illegal in Tennessee without the proper permits too

I don't think it's illegal here. Our wildlife department offers covey packs for people to release.

 

[Ntsees]

I'm all for repopulating/releasing native quail, but you might need to consider whether the habitat and food sources are there. For instance, quail chicks require lots of protein to grow, more so than adult birds. I may be wrong, but I find it unlikely that an urban park may have the necessary amount of insects (I'm talking about insects that chicks are capable of catching like pill bugs and not referring to flying/fast insects). On another point, what about the quail themselves? If left alone with no disturbance, are they capable of bringing up broods? If so, when the chicks hatch, do they stick close to their mother or do they wander off often and making themselves vulnerable to predation? Although I've never kept bobwhite quail, I've read that some domesticated birds are not effective brooders. I do not know everything and there are so many variables involved for a successful reintroduction. I do not know if there are any, but I recommend choosing a stock of bobwhite that retains most of their behavioral instincts and staying away from bobwhite breeds like the jumbos. It does not beat releasing trapped wild bobwhites for reintroduction, but it is a good idea to release those that have a slight advantage at surviving. As an fyi, I'm not saying that you shouldn't release birds, but just suggesting a few things for you to consider.

 

[James the Bald]

Here is a link to an article written by biologists. Very interesting reading.

 

[Ntsees]

Thanks for the link to the reading. It is an interesting read which I agree with most of the points made.

 

[oktx]

Thanks for posting this article. It gives a lot more things to consider. We don't have any native bobwhites here inside the city limits. That was what I was hoping to change. Predators are definitely a concern. I think a flight pen would be required for sure. Do wild quail roost? The article mentioned finding them roosting.