Bobwhhe 5 / 



or Indiana). It is hoped that this will stimulate the compilation of local and 

 more reliable phenological tables. 



PHENOLOGY OF QUAIL IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS 



January Food declining due to consumption by birds and rodents and grazing by stock 

 Feeding stations should be in operation not later than January 1. Probability of snow, 

 sleet, and cold increasing. Possible loss during storms. 



February Same, but worse. Cover and food steadily declining. Spring burning of fence- 

 rows, roadsides, and grassland begins during warm spells. 



March Cover and food at minimum. Still danger of sleet. Predators emerge from hiberna- 

 tion; migration of sharpshin and Cooper's hawks begins. Spring burning continues and 

 plowing begins. Some green food appears. This is the best month to plan future 

 winter cover for quail. Covey may break up into smaller groups late in March, pre- 

 paratory to pairing. 



April Whistling and pairing begins about April 10. Date seems to coincide with earliest 



green food and insects. Cover still very deficient. 

 May Nesting begins. Attempts to bring off a brood continue until September, or until 



successful. Average clutch consists of 14 eggs laid at intervals of one day; incubation 



23 days. Accidental shifting of individuals from one covey to another begins soon 



after hatching of broods. 



June Nesting at its height. Most first attempts are either hatched or destroyed by end of 

 June. Plenty of cover everywhere from now until November. Rains and floods may 

 destroy nests or young. First hay cutting destroys many nests. 



July Blackberries and mulberries ripen and eaten by growing broods. Wheat cutting de- 

 stroys some "second-try" nests. 



August Small ragweed occupies unploughed stubbles and makes winter feed. Corn cultiva- 

 tion ceases and pigeon-grass matures. "Bobwhite" whistling ceases. 



September Last attempts at nesting; some hatch as late as September 15 where earlier at- 

 tempts defeated by rain or predators. Migratory sharpshin and Cooper's hawks appear 

 late in September. 



October Fall "shuffle" in late October; covey may move to winter location. Frost cuts off 

 live insect food and decreases cover. 



November Hunting season November 10 to December 10. Frost gradually decreases green 

 plant food and cover. 



December Usually an easy month. Corn husking exposes much waste corn. Still plenty 

 of pigeon-grass and ragweed; corn not yet grazed out; still some green clover and 

 alfalfa near ground; usually no bad storms. Standing or shocked corn for January and 

 February must be reserved now. Another "shuffle" to winter quarters may occur this 

 month. 



The most important event of the quail year is of course the hatching of the 

 eggs. Since incubation is known to require about 23 days, and since about 14 

 eggs are laid at the rate of about 1 per day, it is possible to convert many dates 

 on nests seen into probable date of hatch. By estimating the age of very young 

 quail seen, it is likewise possible to convert the date into the date of hatch. The 

 only phenological data obtained during the survey were dates of early and late 

 hatches, or other dates convertible into these. Table 14 shows the data arranged 

 according to degrees of latitude. The data are far from sufficient to justify any 

 conclusion, the object being to suggest a method of compilation rather than give a 

 result. Even such meagre figures, however, seem to show a tendency to peak in 

 the middle center. The blank place in the lower central part, if substantiated by 

 more data, would indicate that hatching begins earlier in the spring and may take 

 place later in the fall in the south pa"t of the north central region than in the 



