Overgrazing by cattle and drought reduce the amount of grassland habitat available for the quail, which depend on plants for food and cover to protect them and their ground nests from predators. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working to reestablish masked bobwhite quail populations in Arizona.
Masked Bobwhite Quail
Colinus virginianus ridgwayi
Fact File
Where to see them: Wolf Woods
Length: Up to 9.8 in
Height: Up to 6 oz
Wingspan: Up to 13 in
Habitat: Dry grassland and scrubland
Diet: Plants, especially seeds, and insects
Risk Status: Species at Risk (U.S. Endangered Species List—Endangered)
The Quail’s Call:Living in groups called coveys, the masked bobwhite quail is known for the male’s distinctive “bob-white” breeding call.
