Introduction

1. Decline of the Northern Bobwhite Quail PopulationMichael Norman, Undergraduate in Wildlife and Fisheries Science, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN 38505,USA Introduction Since the late nineteenth century bobwhite populations have been declining. Even today, with an array of management efforts across the bobwhite’s range, populations are still declining in North America (Guthery et al. 2000). However, the main factor is considered by many professionals to be the loss of habitat. Of the 855 million acre range of the bobwhite, at least one third of it is cities, roads, and human development (Davidson 1949). New agricultural practices produce cleaner fields, which greatly reduce cover and available left over grain for bobwhites (Nicholson 1997). Fescue (Festuca spp.) being sod-forming will not suffice the habitat needs of the bobwhite. To counteract the population decline, management efforts are underway in attempt to stabilize and reestablish bobwhite populations. Methods And Materials Basic observation is the primary tool for this experiment to obtain the needed data to develop this research. To help facilitate this experiment I walked a straight line at a distance of 5 meters from the edge of the field then moved in toward the center of the field keeping the same distance. The experiment was conducted for both fields on different days however, the same time period and similar weather patterns were used. This type of data collection is referred to as a point-count survey. Results Number of quail per study area. Number of birds in field A were significantly higher than in field B. Conclusion This experiment was done on a small scale, however it still emphasizes the need to establish suitable habitat. Eradicate any existing fescue and allow to regrow in native grasses and weeds (Peterson 2002).