The Northern Bobwhite is the quail of the American East and South, and the bird most people mean by 'quail hunting'. It is named for the male's clear, rising two-note whistle, which carries a remarkable distance across open ground. Wild coveys hold together through winter and explode upward when flushed, and the species is widely raised for release on hunting preserves as well as for meat. It is a native game bird, so keeping one usually requires a state game-bird permit — check before you buy.
Cold hardy
Heat tolerant
Broody
Flighty
Egg colorWhite
Egg production100–150 / year
TemperamentFlighty
BroodinessOccasional
ClimateCold hardy, Heat tolerant
PurposeMeat And Release
Weight
Weight6-8 oz
How to spot it
Plumage
Mottled reddish-brown above, scalloped pale underparts, short grey tail
Sex differences
Male has a bright white throat and white brow stripe, both outlined in black; the hen's are buff
Call
The rising, whistled “bob-WHITE” that names the bird
Look for
The sharply outlined white-and-black face pattern on the male — no crest, no topknot, no head plume
