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Quail - Bobwhite

Alternative Name
Bobwhite Scientific Name: Colinus virginianus
Basic Info

At maturity, a Bobwhite Quail usually measures about ten inches in length. Predominantly, the Bobwhite Quail is a rusty brown color, although its underside may be lighter brown. Often there is gray coloration over the back of the quail. A male Bobwhite Quail has a white throat with a line above each eye. These white lines are striped back to the neck from the eye. Female Bobwhite Quails have the same patterns, but their throats are a light tan color, as are their eye lines.

Health

In order to preserve the Bobwhite Quail, a few preservation techniques have been suggested. One of these involves the leaving of small patches of grain along edge areas in the winter. Habitats may also be created for the Bobwhite Quail by planting woody undergrowth or bramble areas where the quail may shelter. Breeding The Mating season for Bobwhite Quail occurs in the spring and will often last into September. Generally, the males will perform mock combats in order to display for their mates. The male usually scrapes out a depression in old grass to use as the nest. Generally, the eggs require about 23 days to incubate. An average clutch contains about 14 eggs. Usually nesting occurs between June and September. Bobwhite Quail chicks are tiny- about the size of bumblebees! They rely on their parents for food and for warnings of danger. When the chicks are about five weeks old, they will begin to obtain food independently of the parents.

Habitat

N/A

Behavior

The Bobwhite Quail, unlike many animals, actually benefited from early settling of its range when settlers built protected fenced areas and fields of grain over the quail’s range! Before the mating season in begins, Bobwhite Quail live in coveys of about six birds. However, this number may fluctuate between ten and thirty birds. The coveys begin to break up around March as males compete with each other for the females. After the breeding season ends in the fall, coveys are reformed. Usually there is a social order in such coveys, and the Bobwhite Quail remain close together and tend to move and sleep as a single unit. When startled, however, the Bobwhite Quail scatter in all directions. Usually the covey spends the day in search of food, resting during the hottest hours of the day. Bobwhite Quail prefer to live in edge-lands, where one type of habitat meets another. Generally, this may be the border between a wooded area and a grassy expanse.

Origin

United States

History

Bobwhite Quail began to flourish with the early settling of the Americas, but the trend will not continue if humans continue to destroy the natural habitat of these birds! Their numbers are also often checked by harsh winter conditions. Bobwhite Quail are generally seen in the wild in the Midwest and Southern United States as well as parts of Mexico. As game birds, they were often trapped rather than hunted. Today, hunters with dogs usually hunt Bobwhite Quail. Enthusiasts, scientists, and photographers also love finding and observing these birds in their natural habitats. The Bobwhite Quail receives its name from the male’s mating call, which sounds like the syllables “Ah-bob-white”.

Common Foods

Bobwhite Quail feed on seeds, insects and vegetation. Their diet may include berries, corn, soybeans, grasses and clover, in addition to insects and seeds, which they obtain by scratching at the ground.

Turkey - Bronze

Alternative Name
American Mammoth Bronze Scientific Name: Meleagris gallopavo
Basic Info

By maturity, male Bronze Turkeys (toms) usually weigh 25 to 40 pounds, while females (hens) weigh between 14 and 26 pounds. Their feathers are dull black with a hint of greenish brown, and appear to have a metallic sheen in daylight. The rump of this turkey appears particularly bronzed, while the plumage over the frontal regions has more red and green coloration. Bronze Turkeys have white edging about their tail feathers. There are two body types of Bronze Turkey: the unimproved, or wild type, and the Broad-breasted. Broad-breasted Bronze Turkeys have larger, meatier breasts than the wild type and are more commonly used for commercial production.

Health

Breeding Male Bronze Turkeys can be distinguished from females by the presence of wattles. The Broad-breasted type of Bronze Turkey cannot naturally mate, as its broad breast prevents it from being physically able to copulate. These turkeys must be artificially inseminated. However, the wild type of Bronze Turkey is able to mate naturally.

Habitat

N/A

Behavior

The Bronze Turkey is the domestic breed of turkey that is very similar in appearance to the wild North American turkey, though it often grows much larger. These birds, though they have become rarer in recent years, can make fine pets or production birds. It has been reported that Bronze Turkeys are a bit calmer than other breeds of turkey, making them a bit easier to handle. Handlers say that, when they enter their Bronze Turkeys’ enclosures, the birds will come up to them looking for food. Like most turkeys, the Bronze can be susceptible to cold precipitation and should be sheltered from the elements. Often, hybrids of Bronze Turkey are sold as backyard pets.

Origin

North America

History

Bronze Turkeys originated in North America. They were first domesticated by the Aztec people, as early as 500 years ago. Although both types of Bronze Turkey have become relatively rare in North America, the Broad-breasted is more common. However, these birds are more difficult to breed than the wild type; because they cannot mate due to the size of their breasts; artificial insemination is required. Bronze Turkeys were the chief turkey produced in the United States until around 1960.

Common Foods

N/A