Breeding Strategies of the Northern Bobwhite in Marginal Habitat
Abstract
We studied nesting behavior of radio-tagged northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) in south-central Iowa from 1984 to 1988. Female bobwhite incubated 78% of81 clutches where incubation was observed and males incubated 22%. On only 1 occasion were both a male and female observed to incubate the same clutch. Incubation was initiated on 73% of the nests by females before 1 July, while incubation was initiated on 56% of the clutches by males after 1 July. Males hatched 16% of all clutches, first nests by females accounted for 69%, renests for 4%, and second clutches by females that had already hatched 1 clutch for 11 %. Chicks from 3 of the first broods of females that hatched ~l brood survived for ~l week and were not accompanied by other adults. These breeding strategies appear to provide bobwhite populations multiple chances at recruitment in variable environments.
Keywords:
- Keyword: incubation
- Keyword: nesting
- Keyword: nest success
- Keyword: northern bobwhite
How to Cite:
Suchy, W. J. & Munkel, R. J., (2017) “Breeding Strategies of the Northern Bobwhite in Marginal Habitat”, National Quail Symposium Proceedings 3(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.7290/nqsp03ist8
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