[TN-Bird] Re: Shrikes & Quail
- From: "Scott Somershoe" <Scott.Somershoe@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:27:44 -0600
Although I am far from the quail expert, I have to agree with Dr Houston's
thoughts and comments on quail declines.
We really don't know the cause of the decline, but it is most certainly habitat
loss, i.e. cleaner hedgerows, removal of thickets and maintenance of mowed
grass (quail need this cover, like briars and blackberry), farming to the very
edge of a field, and landscape habitat issues, rather than losses to hunting.
For quail, making a 2 acre patch of habitat will likely not do them much good
if the area around your habitat patch is unsuitable and/or does not provide a
corridor to other suitable habitat. It is sometimes hard to think on the
landscape scale, but I think it is critical for quail.
Game bird hunters actually do more habitat management for their targets than
any state or federal agency can do. TWRA tries to increase quail numbers and
habitat, but we manage a tiny percentage of land in Tennessee that could
potentially be quail habitat. One agency can only do so much. It is
absolutely a private land issue. Farmers, landowners, etc. concerned about
quail need to put the habitat on the ground and manage it properly in a
coordinated and concerted fashion, otherwise the decline will continue and we
will only have pen-raised birds that don't know to avoid predators.
I'm involved in several joint venture organizations and work with state and
federal foresters and biologists from all over the southeast to develop focal
areas for conservation of grassland/shrub habitats and figure out how to
reverse the quail population trend. Through these efforts we can begin to work
on bigger and better private land programs to increase quail habitat on the
ground in a focused area where we can actually make an effect on the amount of
quality quail habitat on the ground in a region area and affect actual bird
populations.
Scott Somershoe
State Ornithologist
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency
P.O. Box 40747
Nashville, TN 37204
615-781-6653 (o)
601-868-0101 (cell)
615-781-6654 (fax)
"Keeping the rubber side down." -SGS
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