Game Birds of the World

Northern bobwhites have the widest range of the American quails, extending from the Atlantic coast to the western Great Plains, and (as an introduced population) in the Pacific Northwest. They occur over most of Mexico and have been introduced in Europe, Hawaii, New Zealand and elsewhere. During the colder parts of the year the social unit is the covey, which usually numbers 10–15 birds. This is the most efficient number for forming their typical circular and heat-conserving roosting groups, with tails touching and heads facing outward. The male's bob-white call is characteristic of unpaired birds, and is rarely if ever uttered by mated birds, at least so long as their females are in view. Whistling males thus call attention to themselves, and may succeed in attracting unmated females or those that have lost their mates.

Both sexes participate in nest building, which is initiated by the digging of a scrape. This is then filled with leafy material, and finally grasses or other herbaceous plants are arched over the top, effectively concealing the nest from above. The first egg is deposited in a day or two, and thereafter eggs are laid nearly daily until the clutch of about 14 eggs is complete. Incubation, which is performed by the female, requires 23 days. Males regularly undertake incubation if their mate is killed, and it is possible that males may at times take on the complete responsibility for rearing the brood after a week or so, leaving the female to attempt a second clutch. In most areas, the breeding season is not long enough to allow for double-brooding, although as many as two or three re-nesting attempts will be made if the early ones should fail. As the summer progresses, well-grown broods are joined by adults that were unsuccessful in breeding, and early fall covey sizes thus average about 12–17 birds.