By
Amanda Gobeli, Extension Associate, Natural Resources Institute
Edited by Dr. Dale Rollins, Statewide Coordinator, Reversing the Quail Decline Initiative
This year’s Texas Quail Index (TQI) featured 26 cooperators
representing 7 of the 10 Texas ecoregions. TQI participants are asked to
conduct a series of demonstrations which include listening for whistling
roosters in the spring, setting out “dummy” (i.e., simulated) nests and game
cameras to evaluate predator activity, examining quail habitat, and counting
birds along roads. The statewide results have been summarized here; if you are
curious about your own county’s results or would like to see it included in the
next TQI, please contact Amanda Gobeli at agobeli@tamu.edu
for more information.
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| A calling bobwhite rooster. Photo courtesy of Missouri Dept. of Conservation |
Spring Call Counts:
For bobwhites, this year’s call
count results were more or less comparable to last year’s. The statewide
average of 3.1 roosters heard per mile marker was nearly identical to the 2016
average (3.2), and the Rolling Plains maintained its title as the ecoregion
with the highest call count values, boasting an average of 4.8. This value does
reflect a decrease in calling activity for the ecoregion relative to 2016
however, when call counts in the Rolling Plains averaged 6.2 roosters per stop.
The Gulf Prairies ecoregion, in contrast, made a substantial comeback this year
with a 2.5 average, up from 1.6 in 2016 when flooding impacted populations and
interfered with spring data collection.
Scaled
(blue) quail proved more variable this year than bobwhites. The statewide
average for blues was 1.8 roosters per mile marker, down from 2.6 in 2016.
While those values may seem low compared to bobwhites, these are impressive
numbers compared to where scaled quail were in 2015 (average: 0.6) and 2014 (average:
0.3). The Edwards Plateau ecoregion had the highest density of calling roosters
with an average of 2.3 birds per mile marker.
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| Average number of roosters heard during spring call counts for TQI participating counties |
Dummy Nests:
The TQI evaluates nesting success
by having cooperators establish “dummy nests”: sets of 3
chicken eggs placed in a quail-appropriate nesting substrate such as a bunch
grass clump, low-growing shrub, or prickly pear cactus. This year’s dummy nest
survival rate was 49%, up from 45% in 2016. A 50/50 chance of nest success may seem
like a poor survival rate, especially since the entire nesting process, from
site selection to hatching, requires more than a month and substantial energy,
but nest success rates as low as 40% are not out of the ordinary for quail. A
survival rate of 49% after 4 weeks in the field can be considered sustainable.
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| A breakdown of nest predators identified by eggshell evidence left at Texas Quail Index dummy nests |
Cooperators
are also asked to use eggshells and other evidence to identify the predators
that have raided their dummy nests, if possible. Coyotes and raccoons have
historically been some of the most commonly cited nest predators, and this year
they were the alleged culprit in more than half (58%) of all depredation
events. Others included skunks, bobcats, feral hogs, and various birds. There
are always a number of cases where no evidence is left behind at all, making it
difficult to speculate on the identity of the predator. It is tempting
to attribute the lack of eggshells to snakes because they swallow the eggs
whole when they feed, but a number of other predators—including hogs and
birds—are capable of removing eggs from a nest without making a mess.
Game Cameras:
Quail
predators are also monitored by setting out game cameras
in the summer. More than 200 predators of 15 different species were recorded this
year, with hogs (count: 72) and coyotes (count 74) making up the vast majority.
Both species are common throughout Texas, and the feral hog
problem in particular has been an epidemic for quite some time, but these
are also species which are more likely to make use of the roads where game
cameras are typically placed. The camera and dummy nest evidence together can
provide insight into the type and number of quail predators on a property.
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| A badger captured by a game camera. Photo courtesy of Cottle county |
Habitat Evaluations:
Cooperators
conduct habitat
evaluations by examining and scoring several aspects of quail habitat, from
nesting and woody cover to the diversity and distribution of food resources. A
score is calculated for the area overall which denotes it as “poor,” “fair,”
“good,” or “excellent” habitat. The average score this year was 0.68, about on
par with last year’s 0.69 and falling into the “good” category. There was huge
variability among individual counties, with scores ranging from 0.52 to 0.89.
Across the board, the primary limiting factors were nesting cover and diversity
of woody cover species.
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| High quality bobwhite habitat. Photo courtesy of Amanda Gobeli |
Roadside Counts:
If spring call counts indicate the breeding capital of a quail
population, then roadside counts, which take place in the fall, show the
results of those reproductive efforts. TQI participants drive a 10-20 mile
route across their cooperating property and record the number of birds seen,
from which “quail per mile” is calculated. It usually serves as a decent
indicator of the state of a quail population just prior to hunting season and
winter. This year though, abundant August and September rains left many
cooperators washed out, unable to complete all their counts and seeing far
fewer birds than usual. The statewide average for bobwhites fell to 1.7, down
from 5.7 in 2016. Scaled quail fared much better and in fact saw an increase in
the average number of birds per mile this year (1.41) over 2016 (1.32).
There
is one metric being reported that may cause concerns about this year’s quail
crop. The ratio of juvenile to adult birds (J:A), identified by patterning on the primary
covert feathers, can also indicate the degree and success of that season’s
breeding activity. Although it is not required for the Quail Index, many
hunters make note of it in the birds they bag. The Rolling Plains Quail
Research Ranch captured
26% juveniles on its first trapping night this year for a J:A ratio of
about 1:3, and hunters are reporting similar values. The boom and bust nature
of quail populations means that the J:A ratio can fluctuate considerably from
year to year and often lands below average, but the higher it is, the better
shape a quail population is thought to be in, as it means more “young blood”
was added to its ranks that year (Wilkins, 1999). High producing quail regions
like the Rolling Plains and South Texas Plains average between 3 and 4
juveniles for every adult—the inverse of the ratios as they currently stand.
The Big Picture:
While the values we are seeing now
are lower than during the remarkable boom of 2 years ago, 2017 does not appear
to be the bust that many expected it to be. Time and continued observation will
tell if the disappointing roadside counts and J:A ratios are outliers or the
precursors to a true bust in 2018, but the overall picture painted by the Texas
Quail Index is that quail have managed to beat the odds by hanging on for a
third straight year.
Literature Cited
Wilkins, N. (1999). Techniques for Estimating Quail
Population Trends. In K.A. Cearley (Ed.), Preserving
Texas’ Quail Heritage into the 21st Century: Proceedings of a
Symposium (67-73).