Vol. 12, No. 12 
Page 3 
4. Responses of Bobwhites to Habitat Manipulation J. A. Ellis, 
P. J. Matthews 
The vegetative response to a "cool" burn was demonstrated on a plot on the 
experimental management zone on the Forbes Area in 1969- A "cool" burn is, as 
the name implies, a fire that burns slowly in an area with little fuel or when 
the humidity is high and there is little or no wind. 
This particular plot on the experimental management zone is typical of much 
agricultural land in southern Illinois, characterized by low natural fertility 
and poor drainage. In 1966, three-fourths of the plot was in soybeans ( G1ycine 
max ) and one-fourth in unharvested corn ( Zea mays ). The area in soybeans was 
seeded to oats ( Avena sativa ) the following spring (1967)» and one-third of the 
area in oats was seeded to redtop ( Agrostis alba ) and one-third to red clover 
( Trifolium pratense ). In mid-February 1969> one-third of the entire plot was 
burned (the burn cut across al1 types of cover present on the plot) and quadrat 
samples of the vegetation were taken in August in the burned and nonburned 
port ions. 
There was little difference in the amount of bare ground recorded in the 
burned (24 percent) and nonburned (23 percent) portions of the plot. Totals of 
20 and 23 plant species were recorded in the burned and nonburned portions, 
respectively; 15 species were common to both portions. The similarity of 
vegetative composition of the two samples was 54 percent. The burned portion, 
however, contained almost twice the amount of common ragweed ( Ambrosia 
artemisiifolia ) as the nonburned portion. In terms of quail management, this 
positive response by common ragweed was possibly the only beneficial result of 
the "cool" burn; however, for quail management, areas of this type can be more 
effectively managed by sharecropping. 
5. Responses of Prairie Chickens to Hab i tat Manipulat ion R. L. V/estemeier 
The nesting study on the Bogota Area in 1969 once again demonstrated the 
value of the sanctuaries as production areas for numerous species of wildlife in 
addition to prairie chickens. Besides the 28 prairie chicken nests (64 percent 
hatched) found in a search of 347 acres of sanctuary-crass lands, nests of 14 
other species of birds were represented as follows: redwinged blackbird 
( Aqelaius phoeniceus ), 292 nests; eastern meadowlark ( Sturnel1 a magna ), 118; 
bobwhite quai1 ( Colinus virginianus , 58; dickcissel ( Spiza americana ) , 47; 
mourning dove ( Zenaidura macroura ), 31 (ground nests); field sparrow 
izella pus ilia) . 10; grasshopper sparrow ( Ammodramus savannarum ), 9; Henslow's 
sparrow ( PasserherbuI us hens lowii) , 1; song sparrow ( Melospiza melodia ), 1 ; 
short-billed marsh wren ( Cistothorus platensis ). 7; indigo bunting ( Passerina 
cyanea ). 2; upland plover ( B^rtramia longicauda) , 2; goldfinch ( Spinus tristis ). I 
and ring-necked pheasant ( Phasianu s colchicus ), 1. Parasitism by the brown¬ 
headed cowbird ( Molothrus ater ) was noted in a redwing nest and in a field 
sparrow nest. 
As indicated by the above listing, redwings and meadowlarks continue to be 
the most abundant nesting birds on sanctuary grasslands, with bobwhites ranking 
third in abundance. Hatching success for 56 quail nests, including 13 empty 
nests, amounted to 33 percent in 1969• One oddity was found--a hatched prairie 
chicken nest which also contained two hatched quail eggs. 
