Got Nature? Blog

As wildlife biologists, we often help people manage habitat for quail on their property. Every property is different, but areas with good quail numbers have one thing in common: quail-friendly habitat structure. The plant community on the property is especially important, but what plants do you need? It’s great if you know plant species beneficial to quail, but if you’re not a botanist, don’t sweat it. Just learn to recognize and manage for structure. If you’ve got the right structure, chances are the right plants will be present.

Quail need several basic elements for good habitat: grass clumps for nesting, weedy areas for brood rearing, shrub cover for protection from the elements and predators, herbaceous vegetation for night-time roosting, and bare ground. In the new publication “Quail Habitat: Putting the Numbers in Perspective,” Extension wildlife specialist Robert Chapman and small game coordinator Scott Sudkamp explain how to add these elements to your property in the proper way to make it an ideal habitat for quail.

Resources:
Quail Habitat: Putting the Numbers in Perspective – The Education Store, Purdue Extension Resource Center
Bobwhite Quail – Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Developing a Wildlife Habitat Management Plan – The Education Store
Breeding Birds and Forest Management: The Hardwood Ecosystem Experiment and the Central Hardwoods Region – The Education Store
Small Woodlots: Important Rest Stops for Migratory Songbirds – The Education Store

Robert Chapman, Extension Wildlife Specialist
Purdue University Department of Forestry and Natural Resources