Northern Bobwhite
Colinus virginianus

  Male                                                        Female

Description 8-11" (20-28 cm). A small, chunky, brown bird; underparts pale and streaked; face patterned in black and white in males, buff and white in females. Usually seen in groups called coveys.

Endangered Status The Masked Bobwhite, a southwestern subspecies of the Northern Bobwhite, is on the U.S. Endangered Species List. It is classified as endangered in Arizona. The Masked Bobwhite was eliminated from Arizona around the turn of the 20th century when its natural grassland habitat was devastated by the establishment of large cattle ranches in the area. Small numbers of these elusive quail survive in Mexico, and efforts are being made to restore and protect their habitat there. Masked Bobwhite habitat has been reestablished in Arizona's Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reintroduced the bobwhite there.

Voice Clear, whistled bob-WHITE or poor-bob-WHITE.

Habitat Brushy pastures, grassy roadsides, farmlands, and open woodlands.

Range Permanent resident from Kansas, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Cape Cod southward. Fluctuating populations farther north and west. Introduced locally elsewhere.

Discussion The Northern Bobwhite is mainly an eastern and Mexican bird but is also found in the foothills of the southern Rocky Mountains. One of our most popular game birds, the Northern Bobwhite is more numerous now than it was when unbroken forest covered most of the eastern United States; but in recent years the species has declined somewhat due to the cutting of roadside brush, the trimming of farmland borders, and the gradual replacement of former pastures with dense stands of young trees. After the breeding period these birds live together in a covey, huddling together at night and in cold weather. When danger threatens they fly out in every direction, startling the would-be predator, who often catches none of the birds.

Seasonal Distribution