3/16/2023 0 Comments Quail foodInsects make up about 15% of a quail’s total annual food consumption. Though to a lesser degree than chicks, juvenile and adult quail frequently include insects in their diet. Soft fruits, as they ripen, are seasonally important, as are agronomic grains left standing or spilled during harvest. Greens are an important spring and summer food, and a supplement during fall and winter. Though not often reported from past food habit studies, pokeweed seed frequently appears in the crops of quail using clearcuts. Source: Bobwhite Quail Food Habits, Tall Timbers misc. Naturally Occurring Plants Important to Quail for Food A partial list of the more important naturally occurring plants that produce seeds consumed by bobwhites is shown below. Of the various plant classes, the seeds of legumes are eaten in the largest amounts and greatest variety. Various studies of fall and winter bobwhite food habits show seeds of native or naturalized forbs are those most frequently consumed. Bobwhites are not strong scratchers and are incapable of reaching food that is buried in the soil or a heavy accumulation of litter.įortunately the list of food items taken by quail is extremely long. Quail take practically all their food from or within eight inches of the ground’s surface. Birds that have been flushed may miss a meal entirely. Adverse weather alters both the length and timing of feeding periods, as will disturbances, particularly those serious enough to cause the birds to flush. Abundance and food item size influence the length of feeding periods. Typically, quail have two daily feeding periods: one beginning at daylight and continuing for several hours, the second beginning during mid-afternoon and continuing until roosting.
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