Date: 4/14/24 6:43 am From: Greg D. Jackson <g_d_jackson...> Subject: Re: [ALbirds] Bobwhite on Dauphin Island
Geoff and all,
A few of us have been discussing the California Quail and N. Bobwhite issues on the island recently and I wanted to share some info. Geoff, you're not alone in your recent experiences as there have been multiple reports of both species at numerous sites on the island in the past year or two. Looking at eBird reports, it can be difficult at times to isolate observations truly occurring on the island (for this and other species), as sometimes folks roll a visit to the causeway or farther north on the mainland into their island checklist for the day. But clearly there has been a change.
Howard Horne provided some information on the people who evidently are releasing California Quail and presumably bobwhites, too. I don't know the legality of doing this without permits, but IMO introducing this type of potential ecological change into a system seems really questionable.
I did some research on this matter the other day, looking at numerous record sets though not doing a deep dive into the literature. In general, N. Bobwhite would not be considered a regular native species on the island as far as I can determine (or recall from 50+ years personal experience). Old texts more or less imply statewide distribution but don't specifically mention the situation on the island, though Imhof (1976) indicates quail being less common near salt water. Looking at the state database and records from the Breeding Bird Atlas, Bird Banding Lab, Breeding Bird Surveys, etc., there is not evidence of normal occurrence on the island.
There have been, however, occasional prior credible reports of bobwhites which appear to be actually on the island (not including the causeway). Whether these were wandering individuals from the mainland or escaped birds from some unknown collection is unclear (though I've never heard of anyone keeping bobwhites on the island until recently).
Overwater flight by bobwhites would seem odd, but they are known to show displacement at times. In Alabama, the farthest record of movement I've seen so far is from a bird banded in Fairhope and shot near Atmore, nearly 40 miles away. Away from Alabama, Stupka's book on the Great Smoky Mountains NP (1963) describes elevational seasonal movements, and Bent (1932) indicates movements related to environmental conditions.
I haven't yet checked with the state game folks about this situation, either in regard to old records on the island or the issue with the current (presumably unauthorized) releases. People with ADCNR have been tracking bobwhites for many decades and may have more insights.
Greg
Greg D. Jackson
AOS Bird Records Compiler
Birmingham, AL
On 4/13/2024 10:25 PM, Chuck Estes via groups.io wrote: > There have been numerous sightings of both Northern Bobwhite and California Quail around the island over the last 3 weeks. My understanding is that there is a man on the island incubating eggs and raising and releasing these birds. I don’t remember his name but I was told he was asked to stop doing it but said he believed Bobwhite were native to the island and would continue the practice. Not sure his logic on California Quail. > Chuck Estes > Oak Ridge, TN > > > >
