BACKGROUND: Northern bobwhite quail populations have suffered a dramatic decline across their entire range since 1960. During this same period the landscape of the Southeast has changed and much traditional quail habitat has been lost or changed. However, during the last 10 years we have learned a great deal about quail management in today's landscapes. The information acquired from quail research groups like the Albany Quail Management Project and others has been applied to many Georgia properties with excellent results. These successes have given hope to many quail enthusiasts and biologists who believed good quail populations were a thing of the past. The general approach to modern quail management can be applied over much of the Southeast, however, differing soil types and other factors can have a significant effect on quail production from one area to another.

Modern quail management techniques have been applied with success to Alabama properties but there is a need to fine tune management to meet different conditions encountered in Alabama. A new project, located in Alabama, modeled after and in association with the Albany Quail Management Project could provide information needed to maximize wild quail production on Alabama land holdings. By using the templet of the Georgia project, the Alabama project would determine how management techniques need to be applied and modified to fit conditions particular to Alabama habitats. Like the Georgia project the Alabama project will not only conduct quail research but it will extend quail management information by helping to cooperatively develop areas to demonstrate successful management techniques on a variety of areas with differing habitat conditions and land use objectives.

WHAT'S BEING DONE: This is an initial 3-year, comprehensive, year-round radio-telemetry investigation of ecology and management of wild bobwhites in Alabama will be conducted.

This project would be conducted using radio-telemetry and other modern quail research techniques as described in Burger et al. 1998. Year-round monitoring of quail through radio-telemetry would provide information on differential habitat use, home range size, survival, and reproductive output on the study areas. On all study sites 50 birds would be trapped, leg banded, and radio-tagged each fall and spring for the 3-year study duration. Fall covey census combined with hunting records would be used to track the population levels on study sites. As data is gathered it will be analyzed for factors associated with an increasing population. When these factors are identified the associated habitat condition or other agent believed responsible for the positive population response will be tested to determine if providing that habitat or acting with that agent will elicit additional positive population responses on site and elsewhere.

Results of these investigations will be supplied via various outlets. Updates will go out twice a year to individuals and agencies involved in the study as well as anyone who is interested in quail in Alabama and requested information. A final report will be prepared at the termination of the study and be supplied to all stakeholders. Results also will be presented in outlets such as Outdoor Alabama and other appropriate scientific and popular publications.

WHAT WE HOPE TO LEARN/ACCOMPLISH:This project, in cooperation with the efforts of other agencies and organizations involved in the Alabama Quail Trail, will improve the understanding of quail ecology and management in Alabama, boost quail populations and create renewed optimism and interest in wild quail management in Alabama. Our goal is to:

1. Identify habitats used by successful quail on Alabama study areas (red land & black belt).
2. Compare quality Alabama study areas habitat to that in other states in order to determine what findings from other states can and cannot be applied to Alabama.
3. Determine reproductive and population parameters on Alabama study areas currently managed for quail.
4. Compare current reproductive and population parameters on Alabama study areas to those from other states in order to determine the welfare of quail populations on Alabama study areas.
5. Where habitats and/or reproductive and population parameters differ between Alabama study areas and those in other states, develop and test possible management procedures to produce optimum habitat and improve reproductive and population.
6. As in all of our quail radiotelemetry studies, information gained in this one will lead to more specific questions and issues relevant to Alabama quail management