QUAIL INITIATIVE: Preserving habitat for a grassland 
bird...on Passport to Texas.

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife 

The Texas Chapter of the Audubon Society unveiled its 
quail and grassland bird program in 2003.

Audubon became interested in getting involved in quail and 
quail management at the state level due to [the fact] grassland 
birds on the whole have been declining at an alarming rate 
range wide. :11

Kyle Brazil (BR@-zil) is leader of the Audubon Texas quail 
and grassland bird program, which helps landowners 
develop plans to manage quail habitat.

Quail like a mixture of woody, herbaceous, or grass cover -- also mixed 
with forbs, or weeds, and bare ground. And they like that interspersed 
over the landscape. They like to have every component of their habitat 
within a stone's throw. :14

For a long-term, sustainable quail population, Brazil says 
quail need 3 to 5thousand acres of quality habitat. 

That being said, you have to work with what you have. And so 
managing as much area as possible for quail habitat is what you 
need to do. Specifically managing for nesting habitat, which is 
the major limiting factor across the range. Nesting habitat is 
made up of native bunch grasses. Here in Texas we typically 
think of little bluestem. :20 

Landowners are vital to quail's survival, and the reasons 
landowners have for preserving quail habitat varies. 

The economic element is part of it. The other part being that quail, in 
Texas, are also very culturally important -- it's part of our history. And 
Texans, as you know, like to maintain their history. :10

Learn about quail management at passporttotexas.org.

That's our show ... or Texas Parks and Wildlife ... I'm Cecilia 
Nasti. 



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You can either use this or "Audubon Texas." Audubon Texas is the official name.
I'd amend that to 3,000 to 5,000, if possible. There are a number of figures out there, but I think 3 to 5 is 
more realistic. I was trying to be consistent with some guidelines that are out there, but new research is 
showing that more area is necessary. 
Tradition (hunting in particular), cultural heritage (how many roads and subdivisions do you know of that 
are named "Quail this or that" (ironic, isn't it), value as ecological indicator, economics, etc.
I was referring specifically to your question of why Audubon was interested in quail when I said this 
(people interested in quail spend a lot of money on management and that management benefits a lot of 
species). Economics is less important to Audubon Texas cooperators than the opportunity to have quail on 
their property. Many of our cooperators don't have enough land to sustain a huntable population w/o 
cooperation of their neighbors (economic benefits come through selling hunts or leasing your property for 
hunting), but they do want to know that they have quail on their property, and see and hear them.