Northern Bobwhite

The Northern Bobwhite is a compact New World quail named for its clear, whistled bob-white call. Adults are mottled reddish brown, black and buff; males have a bold white throat and eyebrow separated by black, while females show buff in the same areas. The short tail, rounded body and intricate patterning conceal resting birds exceptionally well in grass and leaf litter (Cornell Lab of Ornithology, general species account).

Bobwhites occupy grassland, farmland, open pine woods and brushy edges, usually moving in ground-feeding groups called coveys outside the breeding season. Seeds and green vegetation dominate much of the diet, supplemented by insects, especially for growing chicks. Nests are grass-lined hollows on the ground, sometimes with an arch of vegetation. Japanese records are introduced rather than part of the native North American range (Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Wildlife of Japan occurrence records).