Peter Sharp, age 14, of Gulfport, Miss., for his question:
WHERE DO QUAILS LIVE?
Quails are game birds that belong to the same family as the partridge. They live in all parts of the world and are found primarily in the grassy regions of mountains, river valleys and open fields.
In fall and winter quails congregate in coveys, sometimes comprising over 100 birds, which disperse during the day for feeding and reform at night for roosting. During this roosting period the members of the covey seek warmth and protection by arranging themselves in a closed circle with their heads turned outward.
In spring the quails build nests of grass in ground depressions sheltered by bushes or tail grass. They lay from 10 to 18 white eggs in a clutch. Some species lay eggs again in late summer.
The characteristic mating call of the cock, as the male is called, is loud and shrill. Quails run quickly on the ground, but because of their short wings they can only fly a short distance in a single fzight. If frightened by whistles or other loud noises they may fly to perches on nearby trees or fences, but they usually either run to cover and remain motionless or dart suddenly into the air with a whirring sound and fly to the nearest thicket.
The quail is a favorite game bird among hunters. Although the quail is prolific in reproduction, many states have passed game laws restricting the quail hunting season and prohibiting such practices as the snaring, netting and trapping of quails.
Dogs hunting by scent are frequently used to flush or frighten quails from their hiding places.
The best known species in the United States is the bobwhite, named for its characteristic call. Found throughout the U.S. and parts of Canada, it is the only species found east of the Mississippi River. It is also found now in the West Indies.
The bobwhite is the most hunted of all quails and is known in the southern U.S. as partridge and in the northern U. S. as quail. It is about 10 inches in length. The male is larger than the female, reddish brown above the white, barred with black, below; a white line bordered with black extends horizontally above the eye.
The female is similar to the male except that the breast is nearly all white and the throat and the line above the eye are buff rather than white. Bobwhites are monogamous and congregate in conveys consisting of only one family.
Five other species are found in the western U.S. they are the sealed quail, the California quail, the Gambel's quail, the mountain quail and the harlequin quail.
Like the partridge, quails are stout birds with short legs and neck and naked toes and ankles. They are distinguished from partridges by their more slender bills, shorter tails, longer wings and the absence of an ankle spur and of a red patch above the eye.