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Central Kansas | Habitat, climate, and predator populations are all factors for the diminishing numbers of bobwhite quail in the U.S. A great looking fall/winter place for quail.....spilled or left grain, weed patches, brushy areas for loafing and protection are only one facet of the life of the bob. They need nesting habitat....and in our part of the world, that tends to be clumpy warm season grasses with lots of open space for the thumb-sized day old chicks to walk and bug in. They then need decent brooding habitat which is lots of open ground with forbs (broad leaf plants) from which they get insects...their primary source of food until freeze-up. The presence of pig weed (amaranth) in the summer and early fall would not be beneficial due to its seed production as you have witnessed. I suspect for pigweeds to germinate and grow there would have to be some open ground...semi worked or thin stands of something. This would be ideal brooding territory for young birds if suitable nesting is nearby....and you mention grasses so that might be the case.
Here.....pigweed is a secondary energy source with ragweed, hemp, sunflowers, maximillian sunflower, Illinois bundleflower, foxtail and of course, milo and other row crops when bugs are gone.
No matter the explanation, you have developed some ideal habitat encompassing all 3 types for the benefit of these birds. Land that is in transition is the best.....undistrubed land becomes too thick with too many tall trees for predator perching. If one does nothing on their land and once had quail...they won't have them now. Congrats on providing the ideal situation for the proliferation of quail. Downside...you will see a concentration of predators wanting some of the action...and they won't all have two legs and a shotgun. | |
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quail and crops
