News

Latest Newsletter

Do Bobwhite Quail Broods Really Drown During Heavy Rains?

by Dr. Ryan O’Shaughnessy
The heavy rains across the Hill Country of Texas have again sparked conversations amongst quail hunters. One of the most common explanations for poor brood production is that “the chicks drowned in the rain.” While heavy rainfall can certainly reduce bobwhite productivity, decades of research suggest the story is considerably more nuanced.

Latest Podcast

Episode 87: Data Centers & Quail

| Podcasts | No Comments
Data Centers & Quail: Texas is poised to be the Top State in the US for “hyperscale data centers”, and many of those target the Rolling Plains. Join Dr. Dale and his panel of special guests as they dissect the issue as it relates to quail. Rolling Plains Quail Research…
Broods of Different Sizes Do Not Necessarily Mean Second BroodsArticlesResearch

Broods of Different Sizes Do Not Necessarily Mean Second Broods

By Dr. Dan Foley Each summer, I receive calls from landowners reporting several groups of small quail on their ranch. They often mention that some chicks are nearly grown while others are only days old. The immediate conclusion is that the quail must be producing their second—or perhaps even third—round…
Dr. Dan FoleyDr. Dan FoleyJuly 27, 2026
2026 Spring Quail Call Count ResultsArticlesResearch

2026 Spring Quail Call Count Results

By Mitchell Riggs This past month, we completed our annual spring call counts on the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch. Surveys were conducted between May 15 and July 15. During that period, we completed 321 call counts across 25 listening stations. On average, we detected 4.7 calling males per stop…
Rolling PlainsRolling PlainsJuly 27, 2026
Seeing Incubation in Real Time: What GPS Collars Reveal That VHF CannotArticlesResearch

Seeing Incubation in Real Time: What GPS Collars Reveal That VHF Cannot

By: Dr. Dan Foley For decades, traditional VHF radio telemetry has been one of the most important tools in quail research. VHF collars allowed researchers to relocate bobwhites, estimate survival, identify general habitat use, and find nests that otherwise would have gone undetected. That technology built much of the foundation…
Dr. Dan FoleyDr. Dan FoleyJune 26, 2026
Ground Squirrels: Occasional Nest Predators, Not Quail SpecialistsArticlesResearch

Ground Squirrels: Occasional Nest Predators, Not Quail Specialists

by Dan Foley The Mexican ground squirrel is easy to overlook. It looks like a small, striped, harmless seed-eating rodent often seen in short grass, roadsides, grazed pastures, and field edges. But its diet tells a more complicated story. Scientifically, the species is best described as an opportunistic omnivore. It…
Dr. Dan FoleyDr. Dan FoleyMay 26, 2026
Nest for Success: What Makes Good Quail Nesting HabitatArticlesResearch

Nest for Success: What Makes Good Quail Nesting Habitat

By Kyndal Underwood Spring marks one of the most critical periods for quail populations as nesting season begins across the Rolling Plains. At the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch (RPQRR), we recently documented our first nest of the 2026 season—an encouraging sign for this year’s reproductive efforts and overall habitat…
Rolling PlainsRolling PlainsMay 22, 2026
Restoring Native Rangeland Through Strategic ReseedingArticlesResearch

Restoring Native Rangeland Through Strategic Reseeding

By: Kyndal Underwood This spring, three pastures on the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch are undergoing a targeted restoration effort through the Natural Resources Conservation Service Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The objective is to establish diverse native plant communities that support wildlife, particularly quail—while improving overall rangeland function, productivity,…
Rolling PlainsRolling PlainsMay 4, 2026

Get caught up with the latest E-Quail news.


    Read the most recent E-Quail News