by Mitchell Riggs
We concluded our fall trapping efforts on December 20. We extend our sincere thanks to the many volunteers from Tarleton State University, West Texas A&M University, Texas Tech, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Rolling Plains Bobwhite Brigades, Texas Master Naturalists, and local landowners and managers who made this effort possible. This was a massive undertaking, requiring approximately 15 hours of work each day for 12 consecutive days. Without the dedication and support of our volunteers, this work would not have been possible.
Over the two-week trapping period, we handled a total of 2,861 birds, of which 1,690 were unique individuals (never been captured/marked). Each bird was sexed, aged, weighed, and banded. Approximately 50% of the birds were gavaged (wormed) as part of our ongoing parasite research. We also deployed 50 GPS backpacks and 50 VHF collars on bobwhite quail, along with VHF collars on six scaled quail.
The age ratio of quail captured was 2.1 juveniles per adult. This means that for every adult bird, we captured just over two young birds hatched this year. Age ratios are a useful indicator of reproductive success and survival: a higher proportion of juveniles suggests good hatching success and favorable conditions for young birds to survive through the season. In this case, the ratio indicates fair production and survival, suggesting that the population continues to maintain healthy recruitment. Overall, our data indicates that population size, nesting success, and survival rates are nearly identical to those observed in 2024. We can’t wait to see what these birds teach us in the upcoming year(s)!
