what are the best plants for upland birds
- Thread starter Jonjhawk
- Start date
Toad
Active member
Where might the rest of us just "discover" land of this nature? :laugh:
If you ever look at the Quail Unlimited website, or some of their publications, they have some good suggestions.
Kansas Forest Service is a source for very affordable quail habitat shrubs, assuming you are in Kansas.
Good luck with your project.
If you ever look at the Quail Unlimited website, or some of their publications, they have some good suggestions.
Kansas Forest Service is a source for very affordable quail habitat shrubs, assuming you are in Kansas.
Good luck with your project.
Prairie Drifter
Well-known member
Huge question in and of itself. Entire books are written on the subject and they encompass all the various habitat types that quail use. There will be regional differences, so knowing approximately where your land is might narrow down any extraneous plants that don't occur in your area.
Not only are the various plants of interest, so is their proximity. Quail move primarily by foot and, therefore, require that their various habitats be in close enough proximity that they can move freely between habitats as their daily or seasonal needs change.
By and large, quail inhabit grassland/shrubland habitats with savannah-like woodlands also inhabitable. The woody plants often provide thermal and escape cover where birds can avoid temperature extremes and evade predators. Clump grasses are used for nesting habitat with their nests being built in those clumps or at times prickly pear. Brood-rearing habitat is usually composed of a variety of broad-leaved forbs that support a broad population of insects necessary for rapid chick growth. These forbs may include legumes, wildflowers, and both annual and perennial weeds. These same plants frequently also provide the seed food source used by adult quail during the fall and winter seasons.
In Kansas, often the woody component is comprised of plum, dogwood, fragrant sumac, and choke cherry. The best clump grass in Kansas is Little Bluestem, though most habitats also include Big Bluestem, Indian grass, Switch grass, Side-oats Gramma, Blue Gramma, among others. Common forbs might include: Western Ragweed, Wooly Croton, Toothed Spurge, Deer Vetch, Yellow Sweet Clover, Giant Ragweed, Hemp, Kochia, and many many others.
Not only are the various plants of interest, so is their proximity. Quail move primarily by foot and, therefore, require that their various habitats be in close enough proximity that they can move freely between habitats as their daily or seasonal needs change.
By and large, quail inhabit grassland/shrubland habitats with savannah-like woodlands also inhabitable. The woody plants often provide thermal and escape cover where birds can avoid temperature extremes and evade predators. Clump grasses are used for nesting habitat with their nests being built in those clumps or at times prickly pear. Brood-rearing habitat is usually composed of a variety of broad-leaved forbs that support a broad population of insects necessary for rapid chick growth. These forbs may include legumes, wildflowers, and both annual and perennial weeds. These same plants frequently also provide the seed food source used by adult quail during the fall and winter seasons.
In Kansas, often the woody component is comprised of plum, dogwood, fragrant sumac, and choke cherry. The best clump grass in Kansas is Little Bluestem, though most habitats also include Big Bluestem, Indian grass, Switch grass, Side-oats Gramma, Blue Gramma, among others. Common forbs might include: Western Ragweed, Wooly Croton, Toothed Spurge, Deer Vetch, Yellow Sweet Clover, Giant Ragweed, Hemp, Kochia, and many many others.
