Promoted
Northern bobwhite
considered to be rare in this area - possibly introduced to the immediate area for bird dog hunting (I was on wildlife refuge land that is open to hunters in the fall and available for bird dog training). This one appears to have been enjoying some of the nearby blackberries, staining his (the males have a white face, females tan) nice white feathers a bit purple. He was calling quite loudly and we had a bit of a conversation back and forth (the bobwhite call isn't hard to whistle) until I finally found him, sitting quite nonchalantly on a branch just above my own eye level.. He wasn't particularly concerned and allowed me to approach to a quite close distance.
The northern bobwhite is a ground-dwelling bird native to the United States, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The name "bobwhite" derives 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.
