The Desert Triumvirate Series - "In The Kingdom of Cottontops" Scaled quail, also known as "blues" or "cottontops," wear a distinct slaty-blue breast, beige belly, and fine black-edged feathers that give them their scaled look. Their range is vast — second only to bobwhites in the U.S. — stretching across New Mexico, West Texas, southeast Arizona, southeastern Colorado, the Oklahoma panhandle, slivers of western Kansas, and into Mexico's deserts. They are creatures of open country: shin-to-knee-high bunchgrasses and forbs stitched with bare ground, dotted by low shrubs like mesquite and creosote with cholla and ocotillo scattered like caltrops. That mosaic matters. Grasses hide them, shrubs shade them, and the patches of open soil are their highways. Scaled quail are runners first, fliers second; they prefer to string a hunter along until the last moment. Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/4m0AUzK Story by Taylor K. Lee Illustrations by Kate Hall

Introducing Habitat University! Habitat University (HU) is a new educational initiative from Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever that features free, self-paced, how-to courses online. The goal of HU is simple: provide practical training that helps develop more and better-equipped habitat managers, putting quality upland habitat on the ground. These courses are designed for anyone looking to implement or improve habitat projects, with a focus on clear, skills-based instruction you can apply right away. Explore Habitat University and see all the available courses here: https://bit.ly/4dcANi7

Learn what it really takes to guide upland hunts across the ruffed grouse woods and through the desert quail country. Behind the Instagram photos of bird dogs on point is a far grittier reality. Brian Vander Maazen of Amaazen Outdoors pulls back the curtain on life as a full-time bird hunting guide, from the aspen covers of Wisconsin to the desert edges of scaled quail country. This conversation gets into the daily grind of guiding upland hunters, reading habitat, training gun dogs, and building a lifestyle around wild birds. Listen now at the link below or wherever you get your podcasts. https://bit.ly/4t9wf0F “On the Wing Podcast” is proudly fueled by Pro Plan Sporting Dogs

The Pollinator Habitat Outreach Program provides tools, training and financial assistance for chapters to engage youth, families and local communities in establishing local pollinator habitat projects. The objective of this program is to educate youth and communities on the importance of habitat for all wildlife. By helping plant quality pollinator habitat projects, they learn firsthand the habitat needs of pheasants, quail, bees and butterflies, and a host of other upland wildlife. The native seed for this project is a mixture of wildflowers and native grasses specifically curated by the PF/QF's Habitat Store. The PF/QF Habitat Store provides state-specific mixes designed by professional wildlife biologists that meet and exceed local, state and federal standards, provide quality habitat for wildlife and do so at affordable prices. Wanting to get involved in the Pollinator Habitat Outreach Program? Connect with your local PF or QF chapter this spring to get started. Visit the PF/QF Habitat Store here: https://www.pfhabitatstore.com/

"The Desert Triumvirate" Series - Three Quail Species, One Vast and Ancient Landscape Three quail, three kingdoms of the desert Southwest. From cactus studded washes to windswept mesas to oak-dappled slopes, Gambel’s, Scaled, and Mearns quail embody resilience, beauty, and wild spirit. Each story celebrates a distinct desert quail species, the hunters who seek them, and the magnificent country that brings them together. Read "Desert Pinstripes and Feathered Gifts" by Keith Crowley now at the link in below. Stay tuned for part two next week! https://bit.ly/4uHNFDn Illustrations by Kate Hall

Quail Fact Friday - Genetically, New World (North, Central, and South America) quail like are not closely related to pheasants or Old World (Europe, Asia, and Africa) quail, despite their similar appearance. DNA evidence shows they represent a distinct evolutionary lineage. Fossil records push their story deep into time. Quail-like fossils found in Saskatchewan date back 37 million years, and evidence suggests New World quail diverged in South America between 35-63 million years ago. From ancient origins to modern coveys, these birds have been perfecting their niche for tens of millions of years. Quail Fact Friday is presented by Irish Setter Boots #quailforever #quailfactfriday