Aste ge oes OIN® “By U- Dela TIEN 11 
markings. He extends his wings toward the ground until pri- 
mary feathers touch while his elbows are held over his back 
and forward. He advances toward the hen and if she decides 
to play coy and retreats, he will chase her. Should another 
cock challenge, the males will square off and fight until the 
interloper is driven off. Sometimes these bouts are fatal but 
usually are not. The cock and hen stay together for the entire 
season once they have paired. 
The Bobwhite ts a brownish chicken-like bird of the thickets. Cocks 
have a white stripe above the eye and on the throat. The hen wears a 
buff colored stripe. A mature cock will weigh up to seven ounces. 
The nest is a grass lined and roofed hollow in the ground, 
although heavier vegetation may be utilized in construction of 
the roof. A nest is difficult to see or find. I have flushed a hen 
from her nest and then spent what seemed to be hours on my 
hands and knees looking for the nest without success. As is 
true with other ground nesting birds in heavily-farmed areas, 
mowing, brush burning, plowing and other agricultural activities 
destroy nests. So do predators such as skunks, free running 
