BOBWHITE QUAIL STILL SCARCE

While on holiday in central France this spring I was intrigued to find that bobwhite quail were breeding locally. We heard their distinctive calls on several occasions. How widespread are they in Europe and have they ever been established in Britain?

There have been numerous attempts to establish bobwhite quail — a popular sporting bird in North America — in Britain and Europe. None of the British attempts proved successful, though a small population persisted for some years in East Suffolk before they eventually disappeared. The last breeding record was a brood of 16 seen at Minsmere in June 1971, with the final sighting two years later.

In Europe, they are established in only three locations: the Sologne and Chalosse area of central

France, Piedmont and Lombardy in northern Italy and the lowlands of north-west Croatia. This is despite numerous releases in many other areas. There is some doubt whether any of these populations would be self-sustaining without further releases of captive-bred birds.

DT