Owing to its popularity as a game bird, the Northern Bobwhite has been thoroughly studied over time and has been discovered to have a broad variety of vocalizations. This repertory is separated into several areas, including feeding, avoiding predators, moving in groups, and reproducing.
The many group movement calls that bobwhites use, also known as scatter calls or separation calls, are made by both male and female birds to keep in touch with one another or to reunite coveys and split couples. While bobwhites have offspring, they make a unique, gentle sound and use their beaks to guide the young birds toward food. The sounds made by bobwhites in response to predator threats differ depending on the type of threat—is it coming from the ground or the air?
Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) is a member of the New World quail family, which includes 32 species across North and South America. Northern bobwhites are small, plump birds, named for their distinctive “bob-white” call. They are primarily ground-dwelling birds that prefer to walk or run, rather than fly, and are known for their explosive take-off when they are flushed. Northern bobwhites are found in the southeastern United States and parts of the Midwest, including Missouri. They are one of the most iconic game bird species in North America and are popular among hunters.
Northern bobwhite populations have declined significantly over the past 50 years, and populations continue to decline in many states, including Missouri. The decline in bobwhite populations is due to a variety of factors, including habitat loss and degradation, changes in land use and land management practices, and climate change. In this fact sheet, we’ll discuss the natural history and ecology of Northern bobwhites, the reasons for their population decline, and the conservation efforts underway to protect bobwhite populations and their habitat.
Basic information Northern Bobwhite
The Northern bobwhite is a small, round-bodied bird with a short tail. Males have a bold black and white head pattern, females are a little duller in color. Both sexes have a distinctive, melodic two-part whistle that sounds like bob-WHITE or bob-bob-WHITE.
Northern bobwhites are found in open woodlands, grasslands, and agricultural fields from the Midwest to the eastern United States, as well as in Central America.
Cool Facts
• Northern Bobwhites are often heard more than seen. They are known for their distinctive “bob-white” call, which sounds like they are calling their name. These calls are often heard at dawn and dusk.
• The Northern Bobwhite is a popular game bird in the United States. It is the only small game bird species in the country that is native to the US. In 2018, over 1 million bobwhites were hunted.
• Northern Bobwhites are one of the most studied bird species in the world. In 2017, the Bobwhite Technical Committee published a comprehensive review of the species’ conservation status and management needs.
• The Northern Bobwhite is the only quail species that is native to the United States. There are 32 species of quail in the world, but only 3 are native to the US. The other 2 are the scaled quail and the Montezuma quail.
