Photo: BS nThurner HOf / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Northern Bobwhite
Colinus virginianus
Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) — Gamebirds of North America.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) is a member of the Odontophoridae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 172 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Close to qualifying for a threatened category in the near future.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Galliformes
- Family Odontophoridae New World Quail
- Genus Colinus
- Species virginianus
Where it lives
East-central, southeastern USA and eastern Mexico
Quick facts
- Weight
- 172 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Odontophoridae
- Order
- Galliformes
- Habitat
- Urban & human-modified
How to identify
Male vs female
Males have a bright white throat and white eyebrow stripe boldly bordered with black; females replace that white with buff and lack the black border, giving a plainer face.
Juvenile appearance
Juveniles are duller and buffier than adults, with a less distinct face pattern and less distinct barring/scaling.
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Northern Bobwhite is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of farmland, parks and gardens, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Northern Bobwhite is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) belongs to the Odontophoridae family of the order Galliformes. Its range spans Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA ec, se USA and e Mexico.
It is a medium-sized bird. Adults weighs around 172 g, with a wing length of about 11 cm and a tail of around 5.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened. That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 4.4 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Northern Bobwhite?
The Northern Bobwhite is a medium-sized bird that weighs around 172 g.
Where does the Northern Bobwhite live?
The Northern Bobwhite is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA ec, se USA and e Mexico, where it adapts readily to towns, parks and gardens.
What family does the Northern Bobwhite belong to?
The Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) belongs to the Odontophoridae family, in the order Galliformes.
What does the Northern Bobwhite eat?
The Northern Bobwhite is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Northern Bobwhite migrate?
The Northern Bobwhite is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Northern Bobwhite endangered?
The IUCN Red List lists it as Near Threatened That means it is close to qualifying as threatened and is worth keeping a careful eye on.
What sound does the Northern Bobwhite make?
1 real field recording of the Northern Bobwhite — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Northern Bobwhite's range?
The Northern Bobwhite has a mapped global range of about 4.4 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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