Quail Fact Friday!
July is brooding season for bobwhite quail across the Midwest.
Adult quail brood by covering their chicks with their body and wings, creating an umbrella to keep chicks warm, dry, shaded, and hidden from predators. During the first few weeks of life, this is done throughout the night to help with temperature regulation. It is also used to shelter chicks from precipitation, wind, direct sunlight, and predators.
Adults also use soft calls to keep their chicks close while foraging, ready to gather them at the first hint of danger. With less than half of chicks surviving to winter, July is a critical month for broods to have quality habitat for shelter and food.
Quality habitat creates more quail.
#quailforever #quailfactfriday #thehabitatorganization