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Ecowrappin'
The most studied and analyzed wild bird in North America
Tuesday, June 10, 2003
I went on two trips in 2002 with staff and members of the Rural Lambton Stewardship Network. Both trips had to do with the most studied and analyzed wild bird in North America.In January of 2002 we went to Corpus Christi, Texas to attend the 5th National Quail Symposium. It was five days of intensive talk about quail habitat, population, genetics, predation and even the effects of weather on them.
There were numerous studies showing how pen raised quail do not survive long enough to affect local populations. As one fellow told me, based on his research, "The only reason to release pen reared quail is to shoot them! And the predators get them so fast you should be shooting them as they come out of the box!"
The four of us from Ontario became known as the "polar quail" group. Here in the south west of Ontario we are at the fringe edge of their natural habitat area. Some of the boys from Arkansas and the Carolinas found it amusing to think of quail this far north.
You would think it might seem very long listening to researchers present their work but for the most part it was exciting. There were always lots of stories about hunting trips, and sometimes very heated debates over management philosophies. The banquet speaker gave an emotional and poignant talk about his best friend, his hunting dog, who had died a month earlier. The speech involved 10 points about life that his best friend had taught him. I wish I had written them down.
I learned a tremendous amount and was extremely impressed with how much the 800 delegates cared about the future of these little birds. Not just because they are a hunted game bird, but because they are like the canary in the coal mine. Many feel that if quail are having problems, it signals that even greater problems could develop for other species.
Back in the 1970s, I remember quail hunting around home in Sombra Township. The population has plummeted since then. The only healthy population of quail left in Canada is believed to be on Walpole Island. The large tracts of native grasses and the regular burning are both contributing factors as to why they continue to do well there.
I could do an entire article on the speculative reasons for why the population of wild quail is in decline practically across all of North America. Perhaps in the future I will discuss those ideas but this time I also want to talk about the trip in November.
Dave Howell, who works for Quail Unlimited, hosted our visit to southern Indiana. Our first morning there he wanted us to hear the early morning covey call.
He picked us up at 6:15 AM., a little later than he wanted to get going but the MNR guys are kind of slow in the morning. He raced through the countryside to get to the selected site. He had to unlock a couple of gates and explained that the property was a former open pit coal mine that had been rehabilitated for wildlife purposes.
As we drove down the lane, I have never seen so many cottontails! You almost wanted to get out in front of the van with a broom to clear them out of the way. Finally we stopped and got out of the van. It was still pitch black out and Dave cautioned us to just be quiet and listen for the birds.
There was a bit of a hill off to my right, and I heard a snort, and then could see a large buck deer silhouette against the sky.
For several minutes there was nothing. Then straight ahead of me I heard the first bird to wake. It was hard to describe the call. It had the usual " bob white" whistle but it also had a whiffle on the end. Then I heard one behind me. Then I heard one to my left. By then they were all awake and calling. The birds sounded like they were everywhere. It was loud and seemed to be growing louder! It lasted at least two minutes and then stopped as suddenly as it seemed to start.
The birds sleep in groups, called coveys, of 10 to 13, in a circle, tail to tail. Dave said he figured we had about 4 coveys close by. I would have guessed about 20 from how loud it had seemed.
Darrell Randell works for Ducks Unlimited Canada as a Conservation Programs Specialist in South West Ontario. Before that he was a Lambton County Pork Producer for 25 years. He served 2 terms on Sombra Township Council, 1994-2000, and is currently a councillor in St Clair Township. He is a past president of the Lambton County Federation of Agriculture. He was a founding member of the Rural Lambton Stewardship Network and served as chairman of that group from 1995-2003. He and Nancy have 3 grown children, each of whom they are extremely proud.
