Skip to Content

All About Birds

All About Birds

Northern Bobwhite

Overview
ID Info
Life History
Maps
Sounds

Northern Bobwhite Sounds

Overview
ID info
Life History
Maps
Sounds

Song (Eastern)
Media Player Error
Update your browser or Flash plugin
Virginia, May 05, 1960Recorded by Peter Paul Kellogg | Macaulay Library
Calls (Eastern)
Media Player Error
Update your browser or Flash plugin
Ohio, May 04, 1975Recorded by Randolph Little | Macaulay Library
Alarm calls (Eastern)
Media Player Error
Update your browser or Flash plugin
Massachusetts, July 29, 1960Recorded by Warren Y. Brockelman | Macaulay Library
Song (Masked)
Media Player Error
Update your browser or Flash plugin
Chiapas, July 01, 1950Recorded by L. Irby Davis | Macaulay Library
Calls (Masked)
Media Player Error
Update your browser or Flash plugin
Chiapas, July 01, 1950Recorded by L. Irby Davis | Macaulay Library

Sounds provided by Macaulay Library.
Listen to more sounds of this species from the ML archive.

Songs

Males and females give a loud whistled bob-white that sweeps upward in pitch; the song is used mostly by unmated males during the breeding season.

Calls

Both sexes use sharp whistles and soft contact calls to stay in touch with each other while moving and foraging. Adults point out food items to their chicks with a soft tu-tu-tu.

Compare with Similar Species

Click on an image to compare

California Quail

Looking for ID Help?

Get Instant ID help for 650+ North American birds.

Try Merlin Bird ID

Species in This Family

New World Quail(Order: Galliformes, Family:Odontophoridae)

Northern Bobwhite

California Quail

Montezuma Quail

Browse Species in This Family

More to Read

6 Steps to Choosing a Pair of Binoculars You'll Love
Living Bird Magazine
In Colombia, Shade-Grown Coffee Sustains Songbirds and People Alike
Building Skills: The 4 Keys to Bird Identification

eBird
Mesmerizing Migration: Watch 118 Bird Species Migrate Across a Map of the Western Hemisphere
Bird ID Skills: How to Learn Bird Songs and Calls
Why Birds Hit Windows—and How You Can Help Prevent It

Copyright © 2019 Cornell University

Need Bird ID Help? Try Merlin

New call-to-action

Do not show this again

Search

Or Browse Bird Guide by Family or Shape

Get Instant ID Help

Don't miss a thing! Join our email list

The Cornell Lab will send you updates about birds, birding, and opportunities to help bird conservation.