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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Evaluating Hunting Success Of Pen-Reared And Wild Northern Bobwhite In A Reclaimed Kentucky Mineland, Jeremy P. Orange, John M. Yeiser, Danna L. Baxley, John J. Morgan, Ben A. Robinson Nov 2017

Evaluating Hunting Success Of Pen-Reared And Wild Northern Bobwhite In A Reclaimed Kentucky Mineland, Jeremy P. Orange, John M. Yeiser, Danna L. Baxley, John J. Morgan, Ben A. Robinson

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) have experienced severe population declines across their distribution. In order to address population declines and to continue providing hunting opportunities, multi-state efforts have been undertaken to stabilize and restore bobwhite populations. Ongoing efforts using the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative’s quail focus area approach have so far demonstrated success throughout Kentucky. However, population increases in the Peabody Bobwhite Focal Area, in western Kentucky, have not been correlated to increases in perceived hunter success. Consequently, some sportsmen question the effectiveness of focal area conservation. In response to hunter concerns, we tested dog hunting ability with wild …


Factors Influencing Northern Bobwhite Hunter Success On A Public Wildlife Management Area In Kentucky, Jarred M. Brooke, John J. Morgan, Danna L. Baxley, Craig Harper, Pat Keyser Nov 2017

Factors Influencing Northern Bobwhite Hunter Success On A Public Wildlife Management Area In Kentucky, Jarred M. Brooke, John J. Morgan, Danna L. Baxley, Craig Harper, Pat Keyser

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Hunter success is a critical measure of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) restoration. Understanding the factors influencing hunter success can guide wildlife agencies in efforts to improve success and satisfaction and sustain hunter support of conservation initiatives. We compared use of vegetation types by radiomarked bobwhite (n = 30 coveys) and hunting dogs (n = 241) equipped with Global Positioning System collars during the 2014–2015 quail hunting season on Peabody Wildlife Management Area in western Kentucky. We surveyed hunting parties (n = 252) immediately after their hunt to determine success (flushed bobwhite) and gather hunt-party characteristics. …


Hunter-Covey Interactions Using Pointing Bird Dogs, Theron M. Terhune Ii, Diana J. Mcgrath, Seth Wood, James A. Martin Nov 2017

Hunter-Covey Interactions Using Pointing Bird Dogs, Theron M. Terhune Ii, Diana J. Mcgrath, Seth Wood, James A. Martin

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Hunting northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) with pointing dogs is a long-standing tradition in the Southeastern United States. Despite this rich hunting legacy, a paucity of empirical, behavioral information exists on the interaction between bobwhite coveys, pointing dogs and humans. As such, the efficiency of using pointing dogs to locate bobwhite coveys or an individual covey’s behavioral response to hunting is poorly understood. During 2013 – 2015, we conducted hunts (n = 192) by mode of foot on Tall Timbers Research Station (TTRS, ~1,570 ha) in Leon County, Florida and horseback on a private property (2,023 ha) in …


Distance Sampling To Assess Post-Grazing Northern Bobwhite Recovery In South Texas, Rachel A. Smith, Leonard A. Brennan, Fidel Hernández, Humberto L. Perotto-Baldivieso Nov 2017

Distance Sampling To Assess Post-Grazing Northern Bobwhite Recovery In South Texas, Rachel A. Smith, Leonard A. Brennan, Fidel Hernández, Humberto L. Perotto-Baldivieso

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) require habitat structure with substantial grass cover for nesting, predator avoidance, and thermal refuge. During the past 2 decades, many land managers have reduced or completely eliminated livestock across South Texas rangelands with the goal of improving bobwhite habitat. How bobwhites respond to post-grazing habitat recovery is unknown. Our objective is to investigate how bobwhites respond to the vegetative changes following removal of grazing. Our study is being conducted on a private ranch in Jim Hogg County, Texas and involves 3 different areas of post-grazing habitat recovery: a 1,246 ha area rested from grazing …


The Efficacy Of Gopro Cameras To Account For Northern Bobwhites Flushed, But Undetected During Aerial Surveys, Andrea Bruno, Leonard A. Brennan, Andrew N. Tri, Habin Su Nov 2017

The Efficacy Of Gopro Cameras To Account For Northern Bobwhites Flushed, But Undetected During Aerial Surveys, Andrea Bruno, Leonard A. Brennan, Andrew N. Tri, Habin Su

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Estimating density and abundance is central to wildlife conservation for planning and decision-making purposes. Development of model-based techniques, such as distance sampling, allows researchers to estimate density with the inclusion of detection probabilities. However, the reliability of estimates obtained through this method are dependent upon the satisfaction of underlying assumptions, the most critical being that objects at zero distance from the observer be detected with 100% certainty. Conventional distance sampling, where line transects are traversed from an aerial platform, is a commonly used method to estimate northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) density over large, open areas. The restricted observer …


Comparison Of Dog Surveys And Fall Covey Surveys In Estimating Fall Population Trends Of Northern Bobwhite, Evan P. Tanner, R. Dwayne Elmore, David K. Dahlgren, Craig A. Davis, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf Nov 2017

Comparison Of Dog Surveys And Fall Covey Surveys In Estimating Fall Population Trends Of Northern Bobwhite, Evan P. Tanner, R. Dwayne Elmore, David K. Dahlgren, Craig A. Davis, Samuel D. Fuhlendorf

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

The use of fall covey surveys to monitor population trends for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus; hereafter bobwhite) have been widely used in bobwhite research. Estimates of relative abundance from this monitoring technique are often important in assessing population responses to management practices or annual variation. However, conducting covey call surveys is labor intensive and typically can only be conducted during a narrow time frame. The use of dogs as a research tool may offer an efficient alternative to monitor bobwhite population trends. While dogs have been used in research for many other gallinaceous species, their application for bobwhite …


Retention And Efficacy Of Citizen Scientist Volunteers Of The Texas Quail Index, Kelly S. Reyna, Dale Rollins Nov 2017

Retention And Efficacy Of Citizen Scientist Volunteers Of The Texas Quail Index, Kelly S. Reyna, Dale Rollins

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

The Texas Quail Index (TQI) was a 5-year, science-based project that utilized citizen scientists to collect data in the field, including 5 indices of bobwhite abundance in the spring, and 3 indices of bobwhite abundance in the fall. Over the course of the study, 84% of all volunteers dropped out of the program and <8% of all data sets were complete. Accordingly, we surveyed the volunteers by mail to determine the rate and cause of participation decline and to identify characteristics of a reliable volunteer. Results indicated that annual volunteer participation rate declined more rapidly as time and labor requirements increased. Similarly, 74.3% of survey respondents who dropped out of the study reported leaving because the project required too much time and work. Motives may have contributed to the volunteer attrition as 72% of volunteers joined the program to learn more about quail management; however 71% of those that left the program reported not gaining knowledge in that area. We recommend that project designs, for citizen-science projects, should incorporate the motives of volunteers and recruit those whose motives best align with project goals. We also recommend that citizen-science coordinators keep volunteer tasks short and within the interest of the volunteer, to increase retention. Finally, we recommend stipends for volunteers on large-scale, laborious projects.


Use Of Spring Whistle Counts To Predict Northern Bobwhite Relative Abundance, D. Clay Sisson, Theron M. Terhune Ii Nov 2017

Use Of Spring Whistle Counts To Predict Northern Bobwhite Relative Abundance, D. Clay Sisson, Theron M. Terhune Ii

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Spring whistle counts are commonly used to index northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) breeding populations and make inference about relative autumn abundance. They are relatively cheap and easy to implement and provide the advantage of surveying bobwhite populations from multiple points daily and early in the year. This could prove useful on properties available for potential lease, purchase, or as translocation sites; as well as to monitor population trends. Our objective was to determine whether spring whistle counts reliably forecast autumn covey numbers on a wide range of sites, years, and densities on 6 properties in southwestern Georgia from …


Statistical Population Reconstruction Using Wings From Harvested Northern Bobwhites Can Inform Management, Theron M. Terhune Ii, Kristen M. Malone, D. Clay Sisson, James A. Martin Nov 2017

Statistical Population Reconstruction Using Wings From Harvested Northern Bobwhites Can Inform Management, Theron M. Terhune Ii, Kristen M. Malone, D. Clay Sisson, James A. Martin

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Despite the widespread collection wings from harvested northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) by state wildlife agencies and private entities, age-at-harvest information has been largely underutilized for guiding management decisions for this species. Statistical population reconstruction (SPR) techniques can use age-at-harvest information and provide a valuable tool for monitoring trends and the status of bobwhite (and other game bird) populations. However, SPR has not been applied to bobwhite. We evaluated the utility of statistical population reconstruction models, which have been applied successfully to other species (e.g., elk, Cervus elaphus; blacktailed deer, Odocoilues hemonius; and greater sage-grouse, Centrocercus urophasianus …


Evaluation Of Land Restoration Practices On Northern Bobwhite Productivity In North-Central Texas: Preliminary Results, Danielle Belleny, Heather Mathewson, Jeff Breeden, John Tomeček, T. Wayne Schwertner, James Giocomo Nov 2017

Evaluation Of Land Restoration Practices On Northern Bobwhite Productivity In North-Central Texas: Preliminary Results, Danielle Belleny, Heather Mathewson, Jeff Breeden, John Tomeček, T. Wayne Schwertner, James Giocomo

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

The decades long decline in grassland avian populations is ultimately attributed to changing land use throughout the United States. Due to their economic importance and status as a healthy grassland indicator species, attention focused towards land management for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) benefits other grassland vertebrate and invertebrate species. Land restoration practices offer opportunities to mitigate the declines in northern bobwhite populations. While several studies focus on restoring land for northern bobwhite, this study addressed the effectiveness of such restoration practices. We radio-marked female bobwhite from April to July 2016 and located the birds every three to five …


An Analysis Of The Interactions Between Weather And Land Use On Midwestern Gamebird Populations Using Historical Data: A Preliminary Report, Amanda R. Lipinski, Joseph J. Fontaine Nov 2017

An Analysis Of The Interactions Between Weather And Land Use On Midwestern Gamebird Populations Using Historical Data: A Preliminary Report, Amanda R. Lipinski, Joseph J. Fontaine

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Concern surrounding species’ abilities to cope with a changing climate and variable land use presents opportunities to look forward toward solutions while investigating historical trends to assess the interaction of land use and weather. Uncertainty surrounding population responses to increased severity and frequency of severe weather associated with climate change presents challenges for making informed management decisions for a suite of already declining bird populations, including huntable populations of socially and economically important game birds, such as northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). Historical data are a rich resource for developing a priori hypotheses and models predicting species’ responses to …


Triple Brood Production By Northern Bobwhites, D. Clay Sisson Nov 2017

Triple Brood Production By Northern Bobwhites, D. Clay Sisson

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Most aspects of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) life history are well understood and well documented, including their ability to ‘‘double brood’’ (defined as the same hen successfully hatching 2 broods during a single nesting season). Less understood are the ability and/or prevalence of ‘‘triple broods’’ in the life history of bobwhites. Occasional citing in the literature of triple brooding is often unclear as to whether reference is being made to the attempt at hatching 3 broods in a season or actually doing so. This confusion stems from the interchanging use of the words brood and clutch. While Webster …


Influence Of Northern Bobwhite Nest Site Selection On Nest Survival In An Agricultural Landscape, Andy D. Richardson, Christopher E. Moorman, Craig Harper, Mark D. Jones, Benjy M. Strope Nov 2017

Influence Of Northern Bobwhite Nest Site Selection On Nest Survival In An Agricultural Landscape, Andy D. Richardson, Christopher E. Moorman, Craig Harper, Mark D. Jones, Benjy M. Strope

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Working farms provide excellent potential for conserving northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) habitat in agricultural landscapes. Managing for areas of early successional vegetation can increase bobwhite abundance with little reduction in crop production on working farms, but the mechanisms behind the increase is not well known. Our objective was to determine nest site characteristics that may predict nest initiation and survival on agricultural lands to inform future management activities. We radio-collared 241 wild bobwhite on 1 farm with and 2 farms without bobwhite habitat management in southeastern North Carolina. Study sites consisted of a 1,740-ha farm with 9% of …


Effects Of Growing Season Fire On Northern Bobwhite Nest Site Selection And Survival, Sarah B. Rosche, Christopher E. Moorman, Christopher S. Deperno, Jeffrey G. Jones Nov 2017

Effects Of Growing Season Fire On Northern Bobwhite Nest Site Selection And Survival, Sarah B. Rosche, Christopher E. Moorman, Christopher S. Deperno, Jeffrey G. Jones

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Restoration and management of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) communities necessitates frequent prescribed fire. Prior to human colonization of the southeastern United States thousands of years ago, longleaf pine forests burned primarily during the growing-season as a result of lightning-ignited fires. Growing-season prescribed fire may suppress woody vegetation and promote herbaceous groundcover better than dormant-season fire. Despite the potential ecological benefits of growing-season fire, many land managers use only dormant-season prescribed fire to avoid destruction of ground nests, including those from northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus). Our objective was to determine bobwhite nest survival and nest-site selection in …


Patch Size And Nest Density Influence Nest Survival, Victoria L. Simonsen, Joseph J. Fontaine Nov 2017

Patch Size And Nest Density Influence Nest Survival, Victoria L. Simonsen, Joseph J. Fontaine

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Nest predation is the primary cause of avian nest failure and therefore an important driver of avian population growth. Studies indicate that landscape context plays an important role in nest success, and although this is widely attributed to changes in nest predator communities, landscape context also influences nest density which affects predator search area and effort. Much debate remains as to whether specifically the size of a habitat patch or the density of nests has the greatest effect on nest predation rates. We explored the interactions between landscape context, predator efficiency, and nest survival. Northern bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus …


Estimates Of Northern Bobwhite Neonate Survival, Theron M. Terhune Ii, Richard B. Chandler, James A. Martin Nov 2017

Estimates Of Northern Bobwhite Neonate Survival, Theron M. Terhune Ii, Richard B. Chandler, James A. Martin

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Neonate survival is an important but poorly understood component of northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) population dynamics. We used a combination of thermal imagery (forward-looking infrared [FLIR]) and radio-telemetry to estimate survival from time of hatch to fall recruitment. During 2013 – 2015, we tracked bobwhites and captured broods at ~11 days of age using the corral technique. In addition to patagial tagging each neonate captured, we sutured radio-tags (0.76 g) on a subset of neonates (n = 56), and located them 3-4 times daily using radio-telemetry to determine fate and cause of mortality. We modified the Dail-Madsen …


Evaluating Two Trap-And-Release Methods For Bobwhites, Theron M. Terhune Ii Nov 2017

Evaluating Two Trap-And-Release Methods For Bobwhites, Theron M. Terhune Ii

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Numerous methods exist for capturing northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) including various net configurations and baited, wire-funnel traps. The latter represents the most commonly used technique whereby more than 97% of the studies in the current body of literature report using Stoddard’s (1931) standard quail trap for capturing bobwhites. Some researchers, however, employed multiple methods of capture for the same study. Regardless of the technique used, birds are either worked up directly in the field or held overnight and released the next day. Each of these approaches has their distinct advantages and limitations, and may vary with respect to …


Breeding Season Survival And Nesting Of Northern Bobwhite On Native Prairie Versus Traditionally Managed Conservation Areas In Southwestern Missouri, Thomas R. Thompson, Frank L. Loncarich, R. Kyle Hedges Nov 2017

Breeding Season Survival And Nesting Of Northern Bobwhite On Native Prairie Versus Traditionally Managed Conservation Areas In Southwestern Missouri, Thomas R. Thompson, Frank L. Loncarich, R. Kyle Hedges

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) management on Missouri Conservation Area lands has traditionally focused on providing an interspersion of grass, crop, old field and woody cover to enhance edge habitat often juxtaposed with disked idle areas and food plots. This traditional approach, or the Intensive Management Model (IMM), is often implemented with the goal of providing all essential habitat components within a 40-acre area. While this model can produce useable quail habitat in agriculture-dominated landscapes it may not be the most effective or efficient approach to producing quail in grassland-dominated landscapes found in southwest Missouri. Conservation area mangers for …


Northern Bobwhite Nest Site Selection In Field Borders, Danielle J. Berger, Jessica N. Piispanen, Tim F. Ginnett, Jason D. Riddle Nov 2017

Northern Bobwhite Nest Site Selection In Field Borders, Danielle J. Berger, Jessica N. Piispanen, Tim F. Ginnett, Jason D. Riddle

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Field borders are used to supplement early successional habitat critical for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) nesting that is lost to modern intensive agricultural practices. The suitability of field border habitat for nesting may be affected by microhabitat characteristics at the site and patch scale and placement relative to various land-cover types at the landscape scale. We sought to determine whether bobwhite select nest locations at site, patch, and landscape scales. We collected microhabitat data (stem density, percent cover, and ground composition) and distance to land-cover type data (woody edge, crop, ditch, and road) from 26 bobwhite nests and …


Northern Bobwhite Home Range Sizes And Movements In South Texas, Katherine S. Miller, Fidel Hernández, Leonard A. Brennan, Randy W. Deyoung, X. Ben Wu Nov 2017

Northern Bobwhite Home Range Sizes And Movements In South Texas, Katherine S. Miller, Fidel Hernández, Leonard A. Brennan, Randy W. Deyoung, X. Ben Wu

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) often have relatively small home ranges (1-km radius); however, occasional long-distance movements also have been recorded, which may help maintain connectivity and genetic diversity within and among populations. We quantified movements of radiocollared northern bobwhites on the King Ranch in South Texas, USA. For each bird we determined core area, home range (fixed kernel), mean movement rate, and maximum distance moved. We compared movements across age, gender, precipitation trends, and plant communities using Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests. Almost half (44.7%) of the birds moved >400 m (max. distance moved) and 46 (16%) moved …


Foraging Behavior Of Northern Bobwhites In Relation To Resource Availability, Ryan S. Miller, William E. Palmer, Shane D. Wellendorf, L. Wes Burger Jr. Nov 2017

Foraging Behavior Of Northern Bobwhites In Relation To Resource Availability, Ryan S. Miller, William E. Palmer, Shane D. Wellendorf, L. Wes Burger Jr.

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Distribution of food resources may influence northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) foraging decisions and demographic rates. We tested whether covey movements were sensitive to food availability by spreading sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) every 15 days at 3 rates; high rate (174 L/ha/yr), low rate (44 L/ha/yr), and no feed on 3 sections (~240 ha each) of Tall Timbers Research Station, 2009–2010. We measured sorghum availability spread along a 17 km feeding trail every 5 days. We determined seasonal (1 Nov - 15 Mar) home ranges of radio-tagged coveys (n = 89) and daily movement rates and home …


Do Movement Patterns And Habitat Use Differ Between Optimal- And Suboptimal-Sized Northern Bobwhite Coveys?, Christopher K. Williams, Roger Applegate, Anthony R. Ives Nov 2017

Do Movement Patterns And Habitat Use Differ Between Optimal- And Suboptimal-Sized Northern Bobwhite Coveys?, Christopher K. Williams, Roger Applegate, Anthony R. Ives

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

The group size of social animals and spatial structure of the environment can affect group behavior and movement decisions. Our objective was to investigate movement patterns and habitat use of northern bobwhite coveys (Colinus virginianus) of different size. Using radiotelemetry, we continuously monitored covey group size, daily movement, and habitat use on 12 independent 259-ha study areas in eastern Kansas, USA, during the winters between 1997 and 2000. We used correlated random walk models and fractal dimension models to determine if covey size affected movement characteristics or habitat selection. Intermediate-sized coveys (9–12 individuals, close to optimal covey size) …


Effects Of Supplemental Feeding On Breeding Season Home Ranges And Resource Selection Of Northern Bobwhites, Shane D. Wellendorf, William E. Palmer, Allen M. Bostick Iii Nov 2017

Effects Of Supplemental Feeding On Breeding Season Home Ranges And Resource Selection Of Northern Bobwhites, Shane D. Wellendorf, William E. Palmer, Allen M. Bostick Iii

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Providing supplemental food resources for northern bobwhite (Colinus virginanus) has been a common management practice for decades, but its impact on bobwhite home ranges sizes and space use has been debated. Between 2001 and 2007, we established a 397 ha fed study area on Tall Timbers Research Station, which received grain sorghum biweekly along a 19.5 km feed trail. An adjacent 465 ha area was treated as a control with no supplemental food resources. Radio-tagged wild bobwhites were located 3 – 5 times each week throughout the breeding season and we used these locations to calculate home ranges …


Winter Survival And Habitat Selection By Translocated Northern Bobwhite In The New Jersey Pine Barrens: Preliminary Results, Kaili R. Stevens, Philip M. Coppola, Christopher K. Williams, Theron M. Terhune Ii, John P. Parke, John Cecil Nov 2017

Winter Survival And Habitat Selection By Translocated Northern Bobwhite In The New Jersey Pine Barrens: Preliminary Results, Kaili R. Stevens, Philip M. Coppola, Christopher K. Williams, Theron M. Terhune Ii, John P. Parke, John Cecil

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) populations have been experiencing precipitous range-wide declines for more than 50 years; some of the steepest declines occurring in the Mid-Atlantic states. These declines are largely attributed to habitat deterioration from urban sprawl, change in forest management, and intensive farming. This ongoing study aims to evaluate the efficacy of translocating wild bobwhites into the New Jersey Pine Barrens as a means to restore their historic populations. Translocation has proven relatively successful in augmenting bobwhite populations in other regions as well as restoring populations of gallinaceous species. This portion of the study aims to investigate …


Summer Survival Of Translocated Northern Bobwhite In The New Jersey Pine Barrens: Preliminary Results, Philip M. Coppola, Kaili R. Stevens, Christopher K. Williams, Theron M. Terhune Ii, John P. Parke, John Cecil Nov 2017

Summer Survival Of Translocated Northern Bobwhite In The New Jersey Pine Barrens: Preliminary Results, Philip M. Coppola, Kaili R. Stevens, Christopher K. Williams, Theron M. Terhune Ii, John P. Parke, John Cecil

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) have declined precipitously since the 1960s, largely due to habitat deterioration and changes in land use; some of the highest declines have been observed in the Mid-Atlantic States. In other regions, attempts to augment bobwhite populations have been relatively successful using translocation. As part of a long-term restocking program, focal areas for translocation in the mid-Atlantic region were identified by biologists at a National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative (NBCI) workshop. The objective of this project is to evaluate translocation to restore bobwhite populations in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, a focal area designated with a …


Parent-Reared Bobwhite Survival In The Texas Rolling Plains, Mark A. Thomas, C. Brad Dabbert Nov 2017

Parent-Reared Bobwhite Survival In The Texas Rolling Plains, Mark A. Thomas, C. Brad Dabbert

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Considerable research has been accomplished over the past 6 decades on the possible reasons for decline in the northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), henceforth known as the bobwhite. Restoring or restocking bobwhite populations by augmentation in areas that once held significant numbers has been a focus for many wildlife agencies and managers. Three main methods for augmentation of bobwhites currently exist: release of pen-raised birds, release of juvenile birds reared by Surrogator®, and translocation of wild bobwhites from one area to another. Of these 3 methods, only translocation has accomplished the goal of reestablishing bobwhite populations. Recently …


Testing Northern Bobwhite Reintroduction Techniques In The Northern Edge Of Their Range, William Macaluso, Christopher K. Williams, Theron M. Terhune Ii Nov 2017

Testing Northern Bobwhite Reintroduction Techniques In The Northern Edge Of Their Range, William Macaluso, Christopher K. Williams, Theron M. Terhune Ii

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Pen-rearing young frequently fails as a reintroduction technique in game birds because of low postrelease survival rates in the wild. This may be caused by a combination of poor genetics from domestication, unhealthy birds, birds that do not exhibit wild behavior, or birds that are unfamiliar with their surroundings after hard releases. Recent research suggests that parent-rearing, involving pre- and posthatch imprinting of wild-strain northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) chicks by adults, may be a viable option for restoring populations. Imprinting potentially causes reintroduced birds to exhibit more natural behavior. We tested this method against a slightly modified traditional …


The Effect Of Age-At-Release On Survival Of Adoptive Parent-Reared Bobwhite Chicks, Kyle D. Lunsford, Theron M. Terhune Ii, James A. Martin Nov 2017

The Effect Of Age-At-Release On Survival Of Adoptive Parent-Reared Bobwhite Chicks, Kyle D. Lunsford, Theron M. Terhune Ii, James A. Martin

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Translocation of wild northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus) to restore local populations is a viable conservation tool under some scenarios; however, the supply of wild bobwhites is limited. Bobwhites can be artificially propagated, as an alternative to translocation, using methods that mimic natural brood-rearing. The parent-rearing adoptive process (PRAP) uses wild-strain bobwhite adults to brood and foster newly hatched wild-strain chicks in outdoor aviaries that emulate a natural environment. Adoptive parent-reared bobwhites have higher survival rates than artificially-reared bobwhites but only a single age-of-release (i.e., 6-weeks) has been tested. We tested the effect of age-at-release (3, 6, and 9-weeks) …


Experiences In Northern Bobwhite Propagation And Translocation In Ohio, 1978-2012, Mark J. Wiley, Nathan J. Stricker Nov 2017

Experiences In Northern Bobwhite Propagation And Translocation In Ohio, 1978-2012, Mark J. Wiley, Nathan J. Stricker

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Ohio once boasted a population of 7 million northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus). Catastrophic blizzards during 1976–1977 and 1977–1978 brought winter quail mortalities of 85% and 80%, respectively. Ohio’s bobwhite population was 430,000 in 1978, a 90% reduction from 1976. Remnant quail populations were small, isolated, and incapable of rapid recovery. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) initiated a statewide stocking effort to expedite population growth. The ODNR chose to propagate wild quail in captivity and release first-generation progeny (F1). Throughout 1980–1986, the ODNR released 65,000 F1 quail statewide. The ODNR monitored population response with North American Breeding …


Contributions Of Translocation To Northern Bobwhite Population Recovery, D. Clay Sisson, Theron M. Terhune Ii, William E. Palmer, Reggie Thackston Nov 2017

Contributions Of Translocation To Northern Bobwhite Population Recovery, D. Clay Sisson, Theron M. Terhune Ii, William E. Palmer, Reggie Thackston

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

The National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative (NBCI 2.0) is a range-wide plan for recovering northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus; hereafter, bobwhite[s]). Using geospatial analysis informed by expertise from practitioners, the plan categorizes landscapes into restoration potential by weighing biological constraints and opportunities such that targeted habitat management will produce bobwhite population growth. A fundamental assumption of the NBCI 2.0 for achieving recovery goals is that bobwhite source populations currently exist on the landscape at densities necessary to (re)colonize newly established or improved habitat. However, we have found that these source populations can be very low or non-existent, especially in northern …