Welcome to You Ask Andy

Jackie Brown, age 12, of Milwaukee, Wis.) for  her question:

WHAT SORT OF BIRD IS THE BOBWHITE?

Most of the time he hides among the grasses, where his speckled feathers blend with the brownish scenery. You are not likely to spot him, but from time to time he tells you his name  bob white, bob white. For a change of pace, he may utter poor bob white, no doubt because this chubby little quail leads a very risky life.

Like all the quails, the bobwhite is a ground dwelling bird. Sometimes he takes to the air with a whir of wings. But most of his rather hazardous life is spent walking around in search of food. He nests on the ground and even roosts on the ground. He rarely travels more than a mile or so from where he hatched.

His 10 inch body is very plump and round, with a bulging breast.    He has a short stubby tail, a small rounded head and a short stubby beak, suitable for eating seeds. The male's handsome plumage is speckled and freckled with shades of brown and buff, plus a few black and white streaks on his wings. The whole outfit is set off with a white bib and a pair of white streaks over his eyes.

The female also wears handsome speckles, but her colors are more brownish. After all, she must be as invisible as possible when she sits on her nest, which is merely a straw lined hollow on the ground. She may lay as many as 20 smallish white eggs  but perhaps only two of the brood will survive their first year. Their hungry enemies include cats and dogs, owls and hawks and man the hunter.

Bobwhites are fond of their kinfolk and the family stays close together in a group called a covey. At night, they crouch close to the ground in a circle, with tails pointing toward the center. When a hungry enemy approaches, they take off with whirring wings in different directions.

When the covey searches for weed seeds, grain and occasional insects, they chatter to keep in touch with each other.   Their happy hellos sound like bob white, bob white. Soon after the covey scatters, the separated birds cry ka loy kee, ka loy kee, which is bobwhite language for where is everybody? Other members of the quail family live in Europe, Asia  and Africa. Unlike the bobwhite, some of them wear feathery tufts on their heads, and some species migrate. Perhaps the most handsome member of the family is the California quail, who wears vivid black and white speckles and a very proud crest on his proud little head.

 

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