Northern bobwhite

Scientific name: Colinus virginianus

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Both sexes are compact, round-bodied quail with rufous-and-grey patterning; males display a striking white face mask with black markings, while females have buff-coloured face patches. Adults are highly cryptic and smaller than most game birds, blending seamlessly into dry vegetation.

Size and weight

Males 19–27 cm long, weighing 170–240 g; females slightly smaller at 165–220 g.

Habitat

Northern bobwhites inhabit open grasslands, brushy fields, and mixed scrub-woodland edges with short grass and scattered shrubs. They prefer areas with good visibility and escape cover, typically at low to moderate elevations.

Distribution

Found across the southeastern United States from the Great Plains to the Atlantic seaboard, ranging from southern New England to Mexico. Populations favour agricultural mosaics and native prairie regions with minimal woody encroachment.

Diet

Bobwhites forage primarily on seeds from ragweed, bristlegrass, and legumes, supplemented by insects (especially grasshoppers and beetles) in breeding season and green vegetation when available.

Behaviour

Highly gregarious, forming coveys of 4–15 birds that feed during dawn and dusk, resting in dense cover midday. They flush explosively when alarmed, scattering widely, and roost in tight circles on the ground at night.

Hunting tips

Look for scattered droppings and dust-bath depressions in open areas; coveys leave distinctive tracks in soft soil. Walk into wind through grassland edges at dawn, working methodically to flush birds toward better cover. Point dogs or flush coveys by moving steadily through waist-high grass; individual birds often hold tight before flushing at close range.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 5 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.