quail

Question 1

adult male length

Answer 1

the adult bobwhite male measures 10 to 11 inches in length adult bobwhite male measures 10 to 11 inches in length

Question 2

wingspan

Answer 2

has a wingspan of 14 to 15 inches,

Question 3

weighs

Answer 3

weighs from five to six ounces.

Question 4

bonds

Answer 4

Quail usually form a weak pairing bond. Hens are not always faithful to their roosters and vice versa.

Question 5

can incubate the eggs

Answer 5

Either the hen or rooster

Question 6

how many nestings

Answer 6

Some hens may nest as many as three times, leaving her new mate to incubate the eggs.

Question 7

nesting peiod

Answer 7

The peak of nesting occurs during May and early June

Question 8

how many eggs

Answer 8

with 12 to 15 eggs to a clutch.

Question 9

incubation

Answer 9

Incubation period is 23 days.

Question 10

leaving

Answer 10

The young can leave the nest as soon as their down dries and are capable of short flights at two weeks of age

Question 11

mature size time

Answer 11

Quail reach mature size from 14 to 16 weeks of age

Question 12

remain in covey

Answer 12

remain in coveys until they break up in April when the members pair off for breeding.

Question 13

mortality rate

Answer 13

Bobwhite quail have a high annual mortality rate. A 70 to 80 percent population turnover annually is common.Food shortage, cold, adverse weather (drought or excessive rain), predators, and disease cause this high mortality.

Question 14

life span

Answer 14

Potential life span is four to five years. Average life expectancy is less than one year.

Question 15

food matter

Answer 15

The quail’s food consists of about 15 percent animal matter and 85 percent plant matter.

Question 16

what kind of food

Answer 16

The animal food is predominantly insects such as beetles, weevils, caterpillars, and crickets. The plant matter is composed mainly of seeds and fruits, although some green vegetation is consumed.Plants that produce a smooth, hard seed such as ragweed, croton, and partridge pea are important food plants.Quail use agricultural crops including corn, grain sorghum, legumes, soybeans, and other small grains.

Question 17

loafing cover

Answer 17

Low growing woody plants provides loafing cover and should not be over 200 to 300 feet apart.

Question 18

canopy cover

Answer 18

Canopy cover of brush at 5 – 20 percent is considered desirable for bobwhites. However, too much canopy (above 20 percent) is not desirable for habitat

Question 19

nesting cover

Answer 19

Nesting cover is critical with 250 – 300 basketball sized clumps of grass (little bluestem, or hulahoop size clump of prickly pear) needed per acre. this works out to one clump about every 12 – 13 feet over an acre

Question 20

shrub thickets

Answer 20

Shrub thickets, eash up to 1⁄4 acre, provide escape cover and are needed on about every 15 acres.

Question 21

home range

Answer 21

The annual home range of a covey varies from 10-80 acres. Bobwhites spend 75% of their time in a core area of 22 acres

Question 22

core area

Answer 22

Bobwhites spend 75% of their time in a core area of 22 acres

Question 23

disking

Answer 23

No more than 5-15% of an area should be disked.

Question 24

population

Answer 24

Hunted and unhunted areas exhibit the same annual rate of turnover that is usually 70 to 80 percent

Question 25

woody plants

Answer 25

As a general rule, approximately 10 to 25 percent of the area should be left in woody plants if optimum quail habitat is the goal.

Question 26

water factor

Answer 26

Water held in plants often exceeds bobwhite requirements by a factor of 10,000.