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Ecowrappin'
What happened to our Quail?
Tuesday, June 17, 2003
Let me start by saying that I am not an expert in biology, quail or otherwise. I simply have an interest and have participated in a lot of discussion about these birds.There are a lot of reasons that people speculate as to why we have all but lost these birds. I intend to list as many as I can think of here now. Let me say up front that I believe all these reasons combined have contributed to population decline. Each one of them becoming just one more thing to put pressure on the Bob White Quail.
Habitat: This is probably the most important factor. In the early 1970s, we had very high prices for corn and soy beans. Farmers responded in an expected manner. They cleaned up the fence bottoms, improved and cleaned the drains, broke up pasture to grow crops, cleared woodlots, and tiled their land. As much land that could be cropped was cropped. This in itself did not harm the birds for most of the year, but it severely removed much of the critical winter cover and supply of winter food for the birds. They had less protection and food available to get them through the winters.
Pesticide Use: We should not overlook the fact that back in the seventies, many pesticides that were used were less specifically targeted to their purpose and lasted far longer in the environment than much of what is used today. It is hard to say that quail were affected but we do know for certain that many other birds suffered from pesticides.
Predators: Quail nest on the ground. This means that they can be easy prey for many other wild and domestic species. The over population of raccoons and opossums can easily be imagined ravaging quail nests. Think also of snakes, skunks, coyotes, rats, and others preying on the nests. Then remember that owls and hawks also will prey on the adults and young birds. For ground nesting birds, high populations of other animals, even if they do not prey on the nests will still threaten to trample nests. Even dogs and especially cats, if they are allowed to run free will prey on the nests, whether they actually need to eat or not!
Severe Weather: We had some very bad ice storms in the late seventies. With almost everything covered in a coating of ice for days, and with little protection for themselves, the birds died in large numbers due to starvation and exposure. The bad weather may have been the last straw, but other factors had certainly put them in a vulnerable position.
There were a couple of presentations made at the Quail Symposium that showed the negative affects of drought on quail populations. We have certainly had our share of drought around here since the mid-eighties and that may be hurting the bird's chances to re-establish.
There are other considerations as well. Bob white quail as a species is very closely associated with native grasses. These native, warm season grass habitats are the most endangered habitats in North America. There is a real effort being undertaken by many people to re-establish these grasses. Across the area, cool season grasses have replaced them. These are your lawns that grow in spring and require watering all summer long.
A common cool season grass, especially along roadways, is red fescue. One paper presented, and still requiring further research, observed that fescue seed actually become toxic to quail if eaten in large enough amounts.
There is the very disturbing fact that the population of quail seems to be declining across the whole of their normal habitat range. Is there something affecting the quail that has not been recognized?
Hunting is still a viable pursuit in most states but biologists monitor closely to be certain that a sustainable hunt is conducted.
These little birds really have a lot of problems to overcome. In my next column I will try to explain why I still have hope and what can be done.
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.
