by Kristen Tyson, M.A.
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| "Quail" participants |
Don’t know what to do with all that leftover candy from the
holidays? This is a great activity that will open your eyes to life of a quail
and put that candy to good use!
We are always telling folks to “think like a quail”, but
what does that really mean? For their basic survival, quail depend on food,
water and cover. Once the breeding season hits, hens look for good nesting and
brooding habitat to keep the clutch safe from predators and the elements. While
all of this makes sense on paper, there has got to be a better way of
visualizing what this means.
This past summer I had the privilege of attending the 22nd
Battalion of the Rolling Plains Bobwhite Brigade in Coleman, Texas. I learned
more than my fair share of quail biology, management, and plants important to
quail. But, like the high school students I was charged with leading, I had the
most fun during game time. One of the games we played was called “Run for your
life!,” which is an exercise that demonstrates the importance of habitat needs
for Texas quail.
The main purpose is to show participants how the
availability of good woody cover is an essential component of quail survival in
rangeland habitats. Teams are split into two groups, with the majority acting
as quail and a smaller group depicting quail predators. The essence of
experiments like this reveals how prey-predator interactions can really impact
a population when it comes to obtaining food.
There are a few supplies needed to show how cover affects
the foraging strategies of quail:
1)
“Seeds” ( bite-sized candies)
·
Ex: starbursts, skittles, peanut M&Ms,
sunflower seeds, candy corn, peanuts
2)
“Feeders” (paper plates, one per covey)
3)
“Crops” (Ziploc sandwich bag held on with a safety pin)
4)
Brush “coverts” (hula hoops, one per covey)
Teams will be split up, depending on how many participants
you have. The “covey” (group of quail) will consist of the majority of
participants, with 5 in each covey. Next you have 2 hawks and 1 housecat.
Obviously group sizes will determine if you have more than one covey and less
predators, but this gives you a general idea of the prey-to-predator ratio.
This game can be done indoors or outdoors, but for space
reasons, outdoors works best. Ideally, a 25’ by 50’ space prevents participants
from bumping into each other, as much. To get the game started, you:
1)
Prepare the “feeders” by counting out 10 of the different
candies and placing them on the paper plate. Each plate should have the same number
of candies, and the same color of “seeds” (10 red skittles, 10 green M&Ms,
etc.).
2)
Assemble the quail coveys (no more than 5 people
per covey). Mark an imaginary boundary line for them to stand behind, similar
to a “cover” zone. They must cross an opening in order to get to a feeder. The
feeders should be placed no more than 20 feet away from the boundary line. Put
a hula hoop between the line and the feeder, which will serve as a “loafing
cover” where the quail can hide from predators. This is a safe zone from avian
predators (hawks), but not land-based predators (housecats, coyotes).
3)
Pin the “crop” onto each quail’s shirt, just
below the chin. The crop is where seeds and other food items are stored by
quail, prior to digestion. During the first round of the game, quail should be
allowed to feed for several rounds without any predator attacks. They can cross
the line all at once or one at a time to select one “seed” from the feeder.
Each seed should then be placed in their crop (which should remain un-zipped)
so that it can be digested later. Once they have taken a seed, they will return
to their spot behind the line until the next feeding time (round).
4)
After feeding 5 rounds stop and do a “crop
analysis”, where you count all of the food items and make note of the diversity
of “seeds” chosen.
5)
At the conclusion of the crop analysis, explain
to the quail that two hawks have learned that quail like to hang around
feeders. One hawk is a buteo (soaring hawk, not very agile; red-tailed hawk),
while the other hawk is an accipiter (agile flyer and accomplished hunter;
sharp-shinned hawk). The buteo can only walk while trying to catch a quail, but
the accipiter can run. If a quail is “caught” by a hawk, the quail must
surrender and move to a “kill” spot away from the game. Despite the appearance
of predators, the quail should still be able to outsmart the hawks and make it
to the loafing covert. Determine how many quail are left in the game after that
round.
6)
The quail make be happy sitting around under the
cover instead of out in the open where the hawks are, but they must continue to
forage or they will die of starvation. At this point in the game, the housecat
can be introduced. This predator can only catch quail within they are within 6’
of the loafing covert. Complete another 10 rounds where all predators are
present. Determine how many quail have survived, and how many were taken by
each predator.
7)
During the next round, the rancher has decided
he has too much brush on his property, so he clears half the brush (hula
hoops). Play another 5 to 10 rounds and see if the hawks are more successful at
capturing the quail. Determine how many quail remain.
8)
Now the rancher has decided to clear all of the
brush (hula hoops). The quail must travel from the original boundary line to
the feeders, making them very vulnerable to each predator.
The game concludes when all of the quail have been taken by
a predator. Have the participants gather around and take not of their crops.
What “seeds” were preferred the most? A majority of the time the larger
“seeds”, such as starbursts, are chosen first because they are larger and
easier to grab quickly. Plus they offer more nutrients than a smaller seed.
Explain that this particular seed would be similar to an insect, which are
ideal quail food items, especially for quail chicks who need more protein to
help them grow.
Talk about the food selection as the variables changed, with
the introduction of more predators and the gradual loss of good cover. At that
point in the game, the quail probably did not show a preference for any type of
food item but were happy to get what little food they could without getting
caught.
Now discuss the predator tactics and which predator captured
the most quail, and why? Did the removal of part or all of the cover affect the
predator’s success rate?
This game is a great hands-on way to teach participants that
good cover is an essential component of quail survival. With this knowledge,
land managers can work at providing proper habitat cover and quality food items
that quail need to survive. Like us, quail enjoy a diversity of food,
especially when a predator is in the area. The coveys could agree that it takes
a lot of energy to evade a predator and often is done so without the reward of
a food item. Thinking like a quail really does make sense.