Storms sweeping through the southeast are a mixed bag for northern bobwhites
By Rachel Holt
With hurricane season making its mark across the southeast, we have witnessed its devastating impacts on homes and communities. But amidst the chaos, what becomes of our beloved bobwhite quail during these powerful storms?
As with most things in life, there are always pros and cons. Hurricane impacts on quail are no less an exception.
Tall Timbers, a conservation group focused on habitat research and management for fire ecology and bobwhite quail, said only two of their 60 radio-tagged bobwhites died after Hurricane Helene passed through their research property in the Red Hills of northern Florida.
However, Hurricane Milton was a different story.
According to Dwayne Elmore, Director of the Game Bird Program at Tall Timbers, there was a higher mortality rate at their research property in Kenansville, located in central Florida, directly in the path of Hurricane Milton.
Elmore said a couple days after Milton passed through, they reported a 10% mortality of the 90 bobwhite quail they monitor. A week after the storm, the mortality grew to 18%.
Out of the 10%, Elmore said at least one of their quail had died from the tornadic activity that swept through their property, but he could not attribute every death to the direct impacts of the storm.
Elmore attributes the increase in mortality to heavy rainfall from Hurricane Milton that caused significant flooding on the Kenansville property, forcing quail to seek higher ground. With less cover, the birds become more vulnerable to predation.
If there is any silver lining to a hurricane, it’s that changes to the landscape after a storm can lead to long-term benefits for quail habitat.
Quail rely heavily on open grasslands with minimal tree cover, and while unconventional, a hurricane can serve as an unexpected but effective avenue for tree removal and thinning.
Recent hurricane damage to habitat in central Florida. Storms like Hurricane Milton can cause quail mortality, but also provide an opportunity to improve habitat in the long term.
Nicole Itzkowitz, Quail Forever Florida Farm Bill biologist, said just like fire, disturbances are often necessary for the growth of native plants. Hurricanes can provide an opportunity for regrowth, bringing back a diversity of plant species, which is crucial for quail habitat.
Additionally, Elmore said just the storm cleanup alone can be a needed disturbance for quail habitat.
“The storm cleanup of machines going in there, salvaging trees, mulching debris, burning debris, can cause a lot of ground disturbance from vehicles,” Elmore said. “When we see this heavy ground disturbance on a massive scale, it's almost like a shot in the arm for these early successional plants.”
According to Jessica McGuire, senior Working Lands for Wildlife bobwhite program manager, there has historically been an increase in quail populations after hurricanes. When Hurricane Michael made landfall in 2018, she said they saw quail populations on the Florida panhandle boom for several years afterward.
“Once we got over the personal loss from that hurricane, we could joke that it actually did quail a favor with the thinning that took place,” McGuire said.
As for what quail do to protect themselves during a hurricane, there are only educated guesses. As in any storm, Elmore speculates coveys will find a thick shrub or woody plant to shelter under, huddling close together to conserve body heat. As a result, typically adult quail and older broods have a higher chance of survival due to their ability to better regulate body temperature.
Despite the potential benefits, hurricanes still have devastating impacts on much of the landscape. Itzkowitz said fallen timber from storms can create slash, debris composed of branches, twigs, and leaves, which can either smother good habitat or create fire hazards. It can also be harmful for various types of wildlife such as woodpeckers, whose dwellings reside in tree cavities, and turtles and tortoises, who may struggle to navigate their habitats with slash in the way.
Moving forward, Elmore said this story reflects and urges the importance of providing good habitat at all times. In a region where hurricanes can strike at any time, it’s best to always be prepared.
“While we can't control the storm, we can certainly mitigate its effects on wildlife,” Elmore said. “We do that by providing really good cover and abundant food resources that are well distributed across the property so that the birds always have cover available from weather, and predators, and can quickly get the food resources they need to meet their daily energy demands.”
Though hurricanes pose challenges for bobwhite quail, they also create opportunities for habitat regeneration. If anything, hurricanes stand as a testament to their resilience as these birds continue to thrive through nature’s unpredictable forces.
Rachel Holt is a regional WLFW communications specialist at Quail Forever. She can be reached at rholt@quailforever.org.
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