The Masked Bobwhite gets its name from the black mask, or hood, that the adult males exhibit. This species is the southwestern form of the more widespread Northern Bobwhite found throughout the southern and central regions of the United States. Serious birders have told me they haven’t come across Masked Bobwhite Quail in either of these two locations, long considered to be the best spots in Mexico for observing this rare and elusive species. However, I have not seen any research conducted on the Mexican side of the border. There are still, presumably, at least two sites across the border where they have been observed in recent decades: the Magdalena and Benjamin Hill regions of Sonora. It’s unlikely that their numbers have increased much since then, and they may have actually dwindled due to cattle grazing upsetting the natural balance in the rare habitat. The best estimates from the refuge, about ten years ago, was that the population had held at about three hundred birds in this range for quite a few years. In the United States, the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge along the Mexican border southwest of Tucson has operated a captive breeding program for these birds and it is the only U.S. This is the most endangered of our quail species and today can only be observed in a few remote and unpopulated grassland habitats. Its range has shrunk in modern times as their numbers have declined due to habitat fragmentation and loss, overgrazing, drought, and hunting, particularly on the Mexican side of the border. The rarest of the four species is the Masked Bobwhite Quail. Other quail species are more limited in their numbers, range, and habitat. (See the article on the history of southern Arizona’s Gambel’s Quail in our website archive.) Other common names for the Gambel’s Quail are Arizona quail, desert quail, and valley quail. Gambel’s Quail are the most numerous and popular species. But this article will be limited to taking a closer look at one of our favorite backyard birds, found throughout the Sonoran Desert and beyond: Gambel’s Quail.Īrizona has four distinct species of the quail family. This includes humans and other mammals, all animals, insects, plants, and microorganisms. Of course, this statement is true for all the living entities we examine. The more we know about bird behavior, the better we understand the natural history and everyday lives of birds. Quail Behavior, Traits, & Characteristics About our Small Batch Bird Foods by WBS.
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