Richard M. Kleberg Jr Center for Quail Research

Our Committment

We are dedicated to conducting original research on wild quail populations in south Texas, and elsewhere. This dedication is rooted in the ecological and cultural importance of quail in this part of Texas. It is also motivated from the broader context of bobwhite populations, which have declined significantly over most of their geographic range during the past four decades or more.

Quail—primarily northern bobwhite—research is a huge priority at the Institute. We maintain a strong commitment to quail research because: (1) south Texas contains the largest remaining expanses of quail habitat in North America, (2) quail hunting is an important economic force in south Texas, especially when combined with white-tailed deer and other hunting activities, and (3) habitat management that sustains wild quail populations is likely to have widespread, positive effects on scores of other desirable wildlife populations, including grassland birds, other small game species, as well as threatened and endangered species.