Texas Tech Quail

At Texas Tech Quail, our approach is to move beyond simply monitoring changes in quail populations;
we find data driven management tools to mitigate factors that limit quail population growth.

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Our Approach to Science: Beyond Monitoring

There are several approaches to science which can be appropriate depending upon circumstances and current conditions. One approach is simply monitoring: where population density or some index of population density such as call count rates are tracked to describe what is happening with populations over time. Variables such as rainfall, temperature extremes, and habitat measurements are correlated with population data in an attempt to explain factors that control populations. In some instances, research projects dive a little deeper by monitoring samples of animals and estimating factors such as their survival rate, habitat use, and movements. These are all potentially useful efforts and often important precursors for direction of experiments.

Without experiments, however, we cannot be sure of causal relationships between animals and factors that truly influence their population growth. Experiments test hypotheses by manipulating variables and establishing controls that allow experiments to provide evidence of causes and effects. Without experiments, we can't truly move forward providing solutions for problems that we encounter.

That is why at Texas Tech Quail, we strive to conduct large-scale experiments which provide solutions for quail management.

Texas Tech Quail Our Research

Annual precipitation is the primary factor regulating bobwhite population growth in the Rolling Plains of Texas. Precipitation produces food and cover for the significant reproductive effort required to sustain bobwhite populations, which have low annual adult survival (TPWD 2021). Physiological stress caused by heat and food limitation can be so severe during drought years that most bobwhites do not attempt to reproduce at all. Years of drought followed by years of above average precipitation drive boom and bust population fluctuations. During bust years bobwhites exist as remnant populations that hold over in only the highest quality habitat. A historically high population abundance occurred in the Rolling Plains of Texas as recently as 2016 (TPWD 2021). During this boom, bobwhites were relatively abundant even in marginally suitable habitat.

Some predictions suggest that the Rolling Plains of Texas may become drier with more frequent and amplified droughts (Cook et al. 2015, 2019). Management strategies need to be developed to maximize bobwhite survival and reproductive output when sufficient rainfall allows.

Cook, B. I., T. R. Ault, and J. E. Smerdon. 2015. Unprecedented 21st century drought risk in the American Southwest and Central Plains. Science Advances 1(1), e1400082.

Cook, B. I., R. Seager, A. P. Williams, M. J. Puma, S. McDermid, M. Kelley, and L. Nazarenko. 2019. Climate change amplification of natural drought variability: The historic mid-twentieth-century North American drought in a warmer world. Journal of Climate 32:5417– 5436.

Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD) [Internet]. 2021. Quail Fall Forecast 2021-2022. [cited March 29, 2022] Available from: TPWD: Texas Bobwhite Quail Forecast

Because rainfall is the primary factor controlling quail populations, it's easy to assume there is nothing we can do about it. However, Texas Tech Quail has developed techniques managers can use to mitigate some of the negative influences of drought. Generally speaking, drought negatively impacts bobwhites because it limits or stops all reproduction in a given year. Food is limited during drought because seeds and green vegetation are not produced and insects are not available. Food limitation causes bobwhite hens to limit or forego nesting and egg laying resulting no chick production. Populations decline without chick production, because adult mortality does not end.

Broadcasting supplemental feed in the form of milo increases October to March survival of adult bobwhites. Broadcast supplemental feeding also overcomes food limitation for hens, allowing them to nest and lay eggs. However, broadcasting milo alone is not sufficient for chick growth, because milo does not provide growing chicks sufficient protein for their rapid growth. We have also developed a high protein, moisture resistant chick feed to overcome this gap. This chick feed can be broadcast for chicks to provide them protein when insects are unavailable during drought conditions. Our research has shown they will consume this feed.

While it is likely these measures will never be as effective as a good rainfall year, they should limit bobwhite population declines during drought years, because some chicks will be produced and enter the fall population. We have demonstrated this with our current experiment on the Pitchfork Ranch.

Our research efforts are focused in two major areas:

First, we have shown that we can increase bobwhite overwinter survival and reproduction by broadcasting supplemental feed into the habitat. Additionally, we have demonstrated chicks will consume our specially formulated feed pellets which are broadcast into the habitat during drought to promote chick growth and survival. We are now working to develop specific protocols for providing supplemental feed for adults and chicks with an emphasis on maximizing effectiveness and reducing cost.

Our second focus area is chick ecology and survival. There is little information concerning chick/brood survival in the Rolling Plains of Texas, mainly because broods are cryptic and difficult to mark and monitor. Information is very limited concerning factors such as: what composes optimal brood habitat, can hens lead broods to optimal habitat, how far can broods safely move per day, and how many insects must be available to sustain brood/chick growth and survival? These are all unknowns, but answers to these questions might provide pathways to create management techniques that increase chick/brood survival.

The period when adults brood chicks is one of the more critical life stages. Adult birds have been able to survive the nesting stage, and now must guide their broods to areas that are low risk for predation but also provide ample insect availability. Of this period, the first two weeks after hatch are the most critical. During this period chicks have the lowest survival rate, because they cannot thermoregulate or fly to escape predation. We are studying chick movement, habitat use, and survival by fitting 11-12 day old chicks with microradio transmitters that allow us to monitor their movements and survival. These efforts should advance our knowledge of what factors influence chick survival and what we can do about them.

In Texas Tech Quail, our approach is to move beyond simply monitoring changes in quail populations; we find data-driven management tools to mitigate the factors that limit quail population growth.

See our Current Research