Northern Bobwhite
Photo: Matt Tillett from Cumberland, MD, USA · CC BY 2.0

New World Quail

Northern Bobwhite

Colinus virginianus

NTNear Threatened
Family
New World Quail (Odontophoridae)
Order
Galliformes

Overview

The northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), also known as the Virginia quail or (in its home range) bobwhite quail, is a ground-dwelling bird native to Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Cuba, with introduced populations elsewhere in the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia. It is a member of the group of species known as New World quail (Odontophoridae). They were initially placed with the Old World quail in the pheasant family (Phasianidae), but are not particularly closely related. The name "bobwhite" is an onomatopoeic derivation from its characteristic whistling call.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.