The Northern Bobwhite

I love the sound of a Northern Bobwhite. They call from all corners of our property. However, they are quite elusive, and I don’t often get to film them. I was lucky the other day.

When I was observing the Bluebirds near House O, This lovely bird hopped up on an old fence rail, despite the windy conditions.

According to AllAboutBirds, “Northern Bobwhites were once a common species in eastern North America, but experienced widespread, sharp declines of approximately 3.1% per year, for a cumulative decline of about 81% between 1966 to 2019, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey.”

And, “Northern Bobwhite is included on the list of Common Bird in Steep Decline, for species that are still too numerous or widely distributed to warrant Watch-List status but have been experiencing troubling long-term declines. The bobwhite’s decline probably results from habitat degradation and loss owing to urbanization, fire suppression, and changes to agriculture and forestry. Agricultural fields have become less suitable for bobwhites with higher levels of pesticides and herbicides yielding less insect and plant food, and fewer hedgerows to provide cover.”

I’m so happy to know that our little “Farm-Gone-Wild” is still accommodating to this handsome species.