Bobwhite Quail

[Seiryu]

So about a week ago there was some commotion at a Home Depot I was at. There was a male bobwhite Quail flying around and they were trying to get rid of it. So I told them I would help capture it and as I was saying so another guy said he would help.

He said "Lucky for this guy, I don't have my shotgun!". I chuckled a little, knowing this guy was a hunter.

Anyways, we ended up getting it. I told them I would take it to the nature center. It's about 15 minutes from me. I arrived and what's the first thing I see when I walk through the door? Two bobwhite quails (male/female). Things looked good.

They had an entire area (huge) for them. The lady was actually talking to a few kids and I listened in. She started throwing some mealworms on the ground. The male would "find it" and hold it in his beak to present to the female. He did this for probably 30 mealworms before he decided enough was enough and he was going to eat some himself!

Well, my guy was a male and it was mating season. Males will kill each other apparently during this time. Luckily the lady there had released multiple bobwhites nearby and she decided to let him go in the same area as well.

Here he is!

He was really cool. Was pretty calm too.

 

[Isa]

He is gorgeous! That is a very nice thing you did

 

[Missy]

Awww, your a hero.

 

[Laura]

I had bobwhites as a kid.. had a little aviary kennel out back.. they laid eggs. but I never got babies.. I would have people come to the door who had heard them and ask if that is what they were.. they had grown up in the south and missed the sound.
Sweet birds..

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I have them living in the blackberry bramble behind my property and everyday I throw out seed for them and about 25 of them eat there. Breakfast and dinner...Mine are California quail with the deallie bop thing on the top of their heads, the males head actually

 

[Candy]

What a great story this is I loved it. Actually we were at Lowe's today and there were some pigeons flying around that I bet their employees would have loved to get rid of, but there was an open bag of bird seed and they weren't going anywhere.