Bobwhite Quails - Natures Way Of Reducing The Tick Population

By Chris Biancaniello

(photos added after today’s Bobwhite Quail Release)

Ticks, the cause of such ailments as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, have been multiplying unchecked on Long Island. According to the State Department of Health since 1986, there have 96,000 reported occurrences of Lyme disease in New York State. Eric Powers, a Long Island biologist is trying to combat this with an eco-friendly solution - Bobwhite Quails.

Bobwhite Quail Release - photo Smithtown MattersBobwhite Quails, native to Long Island, were once seen in abundance but as the population of people grew so did that of one of the quails predators - the house cat. With the increase in the cat population, the numbers of Bobwhite Quails started to dwindle and the tick population began to grow. Mr. Powers believes that the two are directly correlated. Bobwhite Quails are ground dwelling birds. They prey upon spiders, grasshoppers, and most importantly ticks.

That is why this Saturday, June 30^th, Mr. Powers is holding the 9^th annual Bobwhite Quail Release in Caleb Smith State Park, his main area of operation. He will be releasing over 200 birds in hopes that they will not only survive and breed, but they will help keep the tick population in check. The Quails come from classrooms across Long Island that are teaching incubation to students. Mr. Powers asked a number of teachers to incubate Bobwhite Quails instead of ducks. After they hatch, volunteers within the community help by raising them to ten weeks, when they are released to high-density tick populated areas. While Eric Powers releases most of the Bobwhite Quails, there are times when teachers and students release them in continuation of their class project.

Since the birds are native to Long Island, there is not much of a negative impact in releasing them, as opposed to something foreign that could end up reeking havoc on the ecosystem. “Lowering the tick population is a side effect of something that brings the ecosystem back into balance,” said Powers. The only reason some parks do not allow Quail releases is because of the changes that are necessary in order to create an appropriate habitat. “Caleb Smith State Park is most welcoming to my project. They have madeBobwhite Quail - First to be released. photo Smithtown Matters resources available for me to not only house the birds, but to also give my volunteers access after hours to attend to the birds. They have been very welcoming and very accommodating.”

Truth be told, the lasting success of the project depends mostly on people. “If we stop our efforts right now, the tick population in those areas will spike again.

Since the birds are ground dwelling and forage on the ground in open areas they are easy prey for all kinds of animals but especially cats. The Bobwhite Quail population can be decimated very quickly. “It’s mostly because we’re not addressing the fact that people let their cats out. Within six months or so after releasing the birds, the same problem reoccurs.” In fact Powers stated that only about 1% of the birds he releases would survive through the year to reproduce.

When asked what people can do to help support the cause he said, “The biggest thing that I’ve noticed is just keeping your cats indoors. In some towns across Long Island there are different town ordinances that say it is illegal to let pets roam the neighborhood. Just keeping pets contained in the house will have a positive effect on the environment.”

Caleb Smith Park Bobwhite Quail Release - photo Smithtown Matters

Comments

[strehy]

Great story... Sounds like a win win situation... at least for the eco system and the students... Maybe not so much for the Bob Whites unless people keep their cats indoors? Do we know if the Bob Whites used in the classrooms and destined for release are native to this area?