New World Quail - Behaviour and Ecology

Behaviour and Ecology

The New World quails are shy diurnal birds and generally live on the ground; even the tree quails which roost in high trees generally feed mainly on the ground. They are generalists with regards to their diet, taking insects, seeds, vegetation and tubers. Desert species in particular consume a lot of seeds.

Most of the information about the breeding biology of New World quails comes from North American species, which have been better studied than those of the Neotropics. The family is generally thought to be monogamous, and nest are constructed on the ground. Clutch sizes are large, a situation typical within the Galliformes, ranging from 3–6 eggs for the tree quails and wood quails, and as high as 10-15 for the Northern Bobwhite. Incubation takes between 16-30 days depending on the species. Chicks are precocial and quickly leave the nest to accompany the parents in large family groups.

Northern Bobwhites and California Quail are popular gamebirds with many taken by hunters, but these species have also had their ranges increased to meet hunting demand and are not threatened. They are also artificially stocked. Some species are threatened by human activity, such as the Bearded Tree Quail of Mexico, which is threatened by habitat loss and illegal hunting.

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