Northern Bobwhite

About the Northern Bobwhite

The northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), also known as the Virginia quail or (in its home range) bobwhite quail, is a ground-dwelling bird native to Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Cuba, with introduced populations elsewhere in the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia. It is a member of the group of species known as New World quail (Odontophoridae). They were initially placed with the Old World quail in the pheasant family (Phasianidae), but are not particularly closely related. The name "bobwhite" is an onomatopoeic derivation from its characteristic whistling call. Despite its secretive nature, the northern bobwhite is one of the most familiar quails in eastern North America, because it is frequently the only quail in its range.

Source: Wikipedia

Classification

Scientific name

Colinus virginianus

Family

New World Quail

Order

Galliformes

Similar species

Other members of the new world quail family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.

• Banded Quail Philortyx fasciatus
• Bearded Wood-Partridge Dendrortyx barbatus
• Black-throated Bobwhite Colinus nigrogularis
• Buffy-crowned Wood-Partridge Dendrortyx leucophrys
• California Quail Callipepla californica
• Elegant Quail Callipepla douglasii
• Gambel's Quail Callipepla gambelii
• Long-tailed Wood-Partridge Dendrortyx macroura
• Montezuma Quail Cyrtonyx montezumae
• Mountain Quail Oreortyx pictus
• Ocellated Quail Cyrtonyx ocellatus
• Scaled Quail Callipepla squamata