This summer, several people have reported a Northern Bobwhite (photo by Russ) singing regularly around Songo Pond. The Northern Bobwhite is a new world quail most commonly associated with southeast and coastal pine forests. It has commercial value both as a gamebird and also as captive-reared birds which are used to supply restaurants serving quail.

Growing up in the deep South, this is a bird I grew to love from an early age. To me, the song of a bobwhite on a hot day is the sound of summer. If you’ve ever had a Ruffed Grouse explode unexpectedly as you walk through the woods, then you know what it’s like to flush a covey of quail. Their cryptic, black, brown and white color means they are hard to see in the high grass where they live. When threatened, family groups form a tight, outward facing circle. At the last moment, just before stepping on them, they burst from cover flying in all directions. Of course, this behavior increases the bird’s odds of escaping predators. For me, it is enough to give me a heart attack.

The Northern Bobwhite’s range barely extends any further north than southern Massachusetts. So, what is this bird doing here in western Maine? Chances are it is an escaped bird. There’s little chance that it migrated this far north on its own. It’s more likely that it was raised for release on a game ranch or for restaurant sales. As a boy, I raised a type of domesticated quail for their eggs. I suppose that’s a possibility, too.

The bottom line, Northern Bobwhite are well studied and don’t migrate. In fact, they seem to be highly loyal to the home range of their birth. Some studies suggest that relocated birds do not fare well. They simply have not acquired the skills they need for finding food and shelter when transplanted to radically new  habitat like western Maine represents compared to their historical home. Sadly, the likelihood that this bird will find another of his kind in our area is remote at best. Sad, I know, but if you are lucky enough to hear this bird calling, close your eyes and let it transport you to the hot, steamy pine forests of Mississippi where I grew up.

James Reddoch, of Albany Township and Boston, leads birding events for the Mahoosuc Land Trust. Visit Mahoosuc Land Trust at 162 North Road, Bethel, ME. To learn more visit www.mahoosuc.org. To contact James, send your emails to info@mahoosuc.org.