Influence of rainfall on northern bobwhite and scaled quail abundance and breeding success

Using northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) and scaled quail (Callipepla squamata) breeding success and abundance data from Texas, 1976 - 1991, the following hypotheses were tested: (1) breeding season rainfall affects bree ding success and abundance of northern bobwhite and scaled quail; (2) scale d quail are more drought-tolerant than northern bobwhite; (3) breeding succ ess of scaled quail is more variable than northern bobwhite; and (4) scaled quail have more stable populations than northern bobwhite. Regional differ ences in breeding season rainfall affected northern bobwhite, but not scale d quail breeding success. Additionally, regional differences in breeding se ason rainfall affected abundance of both species. However, annual differenc es in rainfall did not affect the abundance or breeding success of either s pecies. Abundance and breeding success data support the hypothesis that sca led quail are: more drought-tolerant than northern bobwhite. The findings o f this study support the hypothesis that scaled quail breeding success is m ore variable than that of northern bobwhite, at least in the dryer portions of Texas. The analyses also support the hypothesis that scaled quail have more stable populations than northern bobwhite.