Decline of upland birds

Urbanization

I thought it was mainly fire-ants and predators, besides the habitat.

yep, it be the fire ants coupled with small egg eating varmints no longer being trapper for fur.

I have noticed a big decline in all of the "prey"- type animals over that time...I have also seen a big increase in coyotes to the point that I hardly ever see a fox any more...also, farmers nowdays are able to keep their crops cleaner than I have ever seen, so there is not a lot of cover in a rowcrop field like there used to be...

I am guessing that predators coupled with lack of cover have just decimated them......

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Nothing changed with the property but over the years, the number of Killdeer exploded and Bobwhite declined.

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now, that is an interesting observation...I would like to hear a biologist's take on that...

lots of biologists read this site, hopefully a couple chime in here...

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There used to be tens of 1000's of small family farms with grown up fence rows in between. Grown up fence rows happen to be prime bobwhite quail habitat.

Changes in farming and timber practices are the main reason for the decline in quail populations in the south.

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Great point. I remember when a farmer with 200 acres had a big farm. Now farmers plant 1000+.

Instead of a bunch of family's farms having fences, the fields are not only combined but lazer-leveled. That takes out a lot of levees too. Not sure if that affects the birds but the bigger spreads, minus the fences separating them surely does.

It's amazing how there are fewer farmers who farm more land, and the amount of crop they bring in. Combines are $350,000.00 and rice carts haul more than we used to take in a bobtail to the dryers.

I've always read that it's the fire ants. But that argument doesn't really work for places like CA who've also seen a decline in upland bird populations.

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Loss of habitat for a variety reasons. Quail hunting isn't nearly as popular as it once was. Our tract of land in South Georgia has several covey of wild quail which is kind of unheard of to a degree. People don't manage their land specifically for quail habitat anymore. Farmers here have been buying the shite out of land clearing it & putting up irrigation pivots. Developers have bought a lot of what was once prime time quail hunting land & built houses

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I will strongly disagree with you hear. Lots of people all across south spend big money just to manage for Mr. Bob and still struggle to produce huntable number

More articles and opinion on this topic than you can read in one lifetime
Most chalk it up to:
1. Change in habitat, while habitat may look same to your eye, subtle change can cause huge effect in bobwhite suitability. Also as one hand pointed out, decrease in small farms. You can probably thank the welfare and government dependency for decrease in share croppers who all had 40 acre with okra and corn patch

2. Increase in predator, decrease in trapping actitvity

3. Quail not migratory, they can't replenish areas that been shot out easily. Or replenish in area that is once again suitable ground

FAT

Side point: I hunted Gambel's quail in the desert last year. That species is apparently going strong with lots of birds available.