Conservation of the Masked Bobwhite Quail

The masked bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus ridgwayi), a former popular game bird, has been locally extinct in the U.S. Sonoran Desert since the 1990s due to livestock overgrazing and drought. Invasive grass species further degraded their habitat. Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge was established for the reintroduction of masked bobwhite quail and habitat restoration. This specific project will raise bobwhite quail translocated from Mexico in captivity to release them into the wild and establish populations in the U.S. This project will also restore their habitat with native vegetation and control the spread of invasive grasses.