Colinus virginianus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), also known as the Virginia quail or (in its home range) bobwhite quail, is a ground-dwelling bird native to Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Cuba, with introduced populations elsewhere in the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia. It is a member of the group of species known as New World quail (Odontophoridae). They were initially placed with the Old World quail in the pheasant family (Phasianidae), but are not particularly closely related. The name "bobwhite" is an onomatopoeic derivation from its characteristic whistling call. Despite its secretive nature, the northern bobwhite is one of the most familiar quails in eastern North America, because it is frequently the only quail in its range. Habitat degradation has contributed to the northern bobwhite population in eastern North America declining by roughly 85% from 1966 to 2014. This population decline is apparently range-wide and continuing.
There are 20 subspecies of northern bobwhite, many of which are hunted extensively as game birds. One subspecies, the masked bobwhite (Colinus virginianus ridgwayi), is listed as critically endangered with wild populations located in the northern Mexican state of Sonora and a reintroduced population in Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in southern Arizona. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cañón del Sumidero National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Padre Island National Seashore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Havana | 🇨🇺 Cuba | |
| 4 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Bobwhite sighting in Chicago on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 284th most-seen of the 314 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Bobwhite in Chicago on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 5 and 8 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northern Bobwhite sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 7 cities where we can rate Northern Bobwhite sightings, Chicago ranks 6th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Guadalajara (México, under 5%), Los Angeles (United States, under 5%) and Havana (Cuba, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Northern Bobwhite is recorded against all the birds logged in Chicago (18 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
