Northern Bobwhite: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Show-offs · day 6 of 7

Five facts

1. Bobwhites were once thought to pair for life, but radio tracking showed that both males and females can have several mates.
2. Either parent may sit on the eggs for 23 days. Mostly because of predators, only about 28 % of nests succeed on average.
3. When a nest fails, a bobwhite hen may try again, up to four times, until one succeeds.
4. Bobwhites grow larger the farther north they live: Mexican birds weigh 129-159 g, northern ones average 170-173 g.
5. To rescue the critically endangered masked bobwhite, 1,000 chicks were driven to Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona in 2019.

The quiz

1. What did radio tracking reveal about bobwhites?

• They lay eggs in other birds' nests
• Only males sit on the eggs
• They all mate for life
• Both males and females can have several mates (correct)

Once thought faithful, bobwhites turned out to have several mates, in both sexes.

2. On average, what share of bobwhite nests succeed?

• 82%
• 28% (correct)
• 50%
• 95%

Nest success averages about 28 %, mostly because of predators.

3. How many times may a bobwhite hen re-nest after a failed nest?

• Up to four times (correct)
• Never
• Only once
• Up to ten times

A hen may re-nest up to four times until one nest succeeds.

4. Which bobwhites are heavier on average?

• Mexican ones
• All weigh the same
• Northern ones (correct)
• Those from the coast

Northern birds average 170 to 173 g, against 129 to 159 g in Mexico.

5. How many chicks were trucked to Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in 2019?

• 1,000 (correct)
• 100
• 12
• 10,000

1,000 chicks were driven there in 2019.

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