
Plump and quail-like with short legs and tail, stubby wings, and squat structure. Adult male has white throat and long white supercilium; head is otherwise black except rufous-tinged crown. Underparts and back are bright rufous, darker blackish in Florida, with white streaks on flanks and white-spotted belly. Wings are intricately and cryptically patterned in black, gray, and brown. Adult female is similar, with cream-colored throat and supercilium, and fine black barring on rufous underparts. Males of isolated population in Southeast Arizona are clean rufous underneath with entirely black head.
Length: 25 (cm) Wingspan: 33 (cm)
Voice:
Song is a loud, whistled bob-WHITE; also various clicking, clucking, and harsh calls.
Habitat:
Open fields, farmland, agricultural areas, hedgerows, dry woodlands.
Behavior:
Found in pairs (summer) or coveys of about a dozen birds (winter). Roost by night in tight, huddled groups, facing outward. Nest is a ground scrape lined with fine materials. Popularly hunted game bird.
Feeding:
Forages on ground, pecking at seeds, grains, nuts, fruit, leaves, and occasional insects. Sometimes eats spilled seed from bird feeders.
Field Notes
Expanded Life History
Feed Ecology And Diet | Contribute Content |
Nesting Habits | Contribute Content |
Migration Status | Contribute Content |
Conservation Status | Contribute Content |
Local Sites to Spot | Contribute Content |
Abundance Status | Contribute Content |
Adult Male Description | Contribute Content |
Adult Female Description | Contribute Content |
ITIS Taxonomic Number | Contribute Content |
Sonogram | Contribute Content |
Courtship | Contribute Content |
Reproductive Characteristics | Contribute Content |
Relationship to Humans | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Size & Shape | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Color & Pattern | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Habitat | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Behavior | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Wingspan | Contribute Content |
ID Tips - Weight | Contribute Content |
Breeding | Contribute Content |
Cool Facts | Contribute Content |
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Sightings
Date | Submitted By | Count |
---|---|---|
06/15/13 | Bill Fiero, NY | # |
05/19/12 | Billy Bump, MS | 5 |
05/01/09 | Billy Bump, MS | 1 |
05/07/12 | Jane Van Coney, OH | # |
09/04/06 | Dan Mitchell, OR | 1 |
04/20/11 | Kyle Jespersen | # |
02/27/11 | Shawneen Finnegan, OR | # |
Recent Activity
Activity | Date & Time |
---|---|
Dan Mitchell added Northern Bobwhite to their Palmer, Alaska smart list | 7/05/2011 at 8:13PM |