Folks who grew up in the rural areas of North Fulton County and surrounding counties in the 1960s and ’70s will remember the distinctive call of the bobwhite quail. That delightful and unmistakable early morning and evening “bob white” whistle-like call was the way country folks started the day. Those quail were part of our history. Their sounds are not heard today. So, where have all the bobwhites gone? Will they come back? Let’s take a look.
There are six species of quail in the U.S. Bobwhite quail are found in nearly 40 states but are native to the southeastern states. They were particularly plentiful in Georgia which for 100 years was known as the “Quail capital of the world.”
Like most quail, northern bobwhite quail live on the ground, preferring native grasslands where they can feed on seeds and insects. The birds can only fly a few hundred feet at a time due to their short wings, so for protection they rely on concealment in tall grass and thickets that are bushy above but open near the ground. Their cheerful bob white whistle is a mating call and is heard mostly in the spring and summer when birds pair up. In the fall, they gather into small groups called coveys to prepare for the winter. Males have a prominent white stripe above the eye, while hens have buff colored head stripes.
Hunters love to hunt quail because they burst from concealment when startled making challenging targets. They are tasty when cooked properly, kind of a cross between a chicken and a pheasant.
Numerous factors played a role in the 85 to 90 percent decline in the bobwhite population in Georgia over the past century and especially since the 1960s. Dramatic population growth and subsequent urbanization reduced the birds’ natural habitat of native grasslands, so they produced fewer chicks. (Georgia’s population in 1960 was less than 4…
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