Quail calling once again in Nanticoke River Wildlife Management Area

The softball-sized, onomatopoeically named bobwhite quail needs four things in its habitat: a place to nest and raise its young, a place to hide from predators, a place with food, and a place for the winter.

A century ago, it was easy to find all four. By a decade ago, it was almost impossible. The ground bird’s early morning “poor, bob-white” calls that have long been a fixture of rural life were fading.

But today, quail are calling once again in the Nanticoke River Wildlife Management Area in Wicomico County, thanks to habitat restoration by the Maryland Wildlife and Heritage Service.