The Effects of Climate on Scaled Quail Reproduction and Survival

The scaled quail is an important species that indicates the overall health of the habitats they occupy in the arid Southwest. Some populations are declining, which may be linked to the long-term trend in warmer, drier conditions and reduced monsoonal rainfall across their range. It’s believed that temperature and humidity levels have been too high, reducing the survival of eggs and chicks. Climate models project decreasing rainfall and warming temperatures to continue for the region, so understanding this linkage is becoming increasingly critical.

 

To address this need, researchers sought to measure the success of scaled quail nests at locations across their range, to determine if nest success is related to temperature, humidity, and precipitation. The results of this study can provide managers with information on the degree to which changes in each of these climatic variables threatens the scaled quail, and will help identify management actions that may need to be taken to protect the species into the future.