Last winter this northern bobwhite sat on our back fence for over an hour and allowed my wife, Amy, to get close enough to take photos. Bobwhites are not supposed to be in southern Idaho, so what was it doing in our yard?

Kenn and Kimberly: You’re right, northern bobwhites aren’t native to anyplace near Idaho, although there are a few small introduced populations in the Pacific Northwest. Bobwhites are often raised in captivity; sportsmen’s groups sometimes release them into the wild, or use them to train hunting dogs how to “point” at game. Because the one in your yard acted so tame, it was probably one of these pen-raised and released birds.