The loud, clear whistle of the northern bobwhite -- "bob, bob-white!" -- is sadly absent from much of Pennsylvania and has been for years. So when I get letters from readers asking if it's possible they've heard a bobwhite, I say it's definitely possible, but it's probably not a wild bird.

Bobwhite eggs and chicks are readily available from game bird breeders. Some rural land owners use them to train bird dogs, others hope to re-establish bobwhite populations, while others simply hope to hear a bobwhite sing.

What usually happens, however, is that pen-reared birds fill the bellies of foxes, bobcats and hawks. These birds simply lack the survival skills necessary to live long enough to breed. Some may survive for a few weeks, just long enough to tease nearby landowners with their familiar voice.

Even those who have never heard a bobwhite would recognize the call. It's one of the classic name-sayers. Listen at www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Bobwhite/id.

Though bobwhite are popular game birds throughout much of their range, changes in habitat and climate are responsible for their scarcity, especially in Pennsylvania. Bobwhite require a mixture of grassland, cropland, brushy cover and woodlands. In the 1940s and 1950s, when agriculture was dominated by small farms, bobwhite were much more common than today. Modern agriculture, characterized by large acreage and efficient farming techniques, has no use for bobwhite.

Hard winters, however, virtually guarantee that bobwhite can never flourish in the Keystone State. Pennsylvania sits at the northern limit of the bobwhite's range, and periodic killer winters occur too frequently. Big snowstorms such as those experienced in 1977, 1978 and 1993 wipe out population gains experienced during intervening years of mild winter weather. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission's 2007-2008 Annual Report, the state's bobwhite population has declined 97 percent over the last 40 years.

The Game Commission recently announced plans to review bobwhite population trends and the potential for restoring populations. Beginning with the 2010-2011 hunting season, the bobwhite season will be closed statewide.

"Given the diminished status of wild quail populations, and our ongoing work to complete and implement a bobwhite management plan, we believe the timing is appropriate to close the quail season," said Carl Roe, PGC executive director, in a written statement.

Let's hope it's not too little too late.

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