Kansas Study Aims to Guide Quail Management in the Sunflower State
A study in Kansas is examining what factors have allowed bobwhite quail to thrive on Kansas’ agricultural landscapes. The study was initiated by Jeff Prendergast, Upland Gamebird Program Coordinator with @thekdwp and Dr. James Martin with @martingamelab.
We visited one of the study sites with Mayson Metcalf, a Working Lands for Wildlife Bobwhite/Grassland Birds Outcomes Assessment Tech for Quail Forever, to witness the work firsthand. The quail are live trapped and fitted with radio collars. Metcalf then conducts surveys where he uses a receiver and antenna to locate collared quail and make notes about what areas of the property they are most frequently using. It is also noted the type of cover type they are using, such as shrubs and grass cover. The radio collaring is accompanied by point county surveys. These surveys involve visiting the sites to listen for and record the number of bobwhite whistles during peak times of vocalization.
Dr. James Martin of the University of Georgia says, “When creating bobwhite habitat, there’s a need to consider production agriculture. This becomes infinitely more complex when a large portion of the landscape is needed to produce food or forage. This project aims to figure out the thresholds of habitat needed, how that habitat is distributed, and how the intensity of agriculture mediates the relationships between habitat and bobwhite.”
Visit the link in our bio to learn more about what Quail Forever is doing for bobwhites in Kansas.
#quailforever #thehabitatorganization
