Tennessee's Game Bird - Bobwhite Quail

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The Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus) became the "Official Game Bird" of Tennessee in (1988).  The bobwhite, also known as the partridge, is considered one of the finest game birds in the world.  It is a short-tailed chunky brown bird, usually 8 to 10 inches long. The male has a white throat and a white stripe above the eye, while the female has a buffy throat and eye stripe. In spring the male’s clearly whistled bobwhite is answered by the female’s four-syllable whistle.  This gamebird lays from 10 to 20 pure white eggs, more than almost any other bird.    In forest habitats, northern bobwhites show a clear preference for early successional vegetation created by disturbances from fire, agriculture, and timber-harvesting.  In rangeland habitats, bobwhites are found in both early and later successional vegetation.  Bobwhite habitats must contain a diversity of invertebrates, seeds, and herbaceous plants.  Cover that provides protection from predators, weather, and provides nesting material is also essential.  Water is not normally an important factor in habitat determination of the bobwhite because ample water can be obtained from dew.

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