Perch Supply
Diet

What do bobwhites eat?

Seeds, green leaves and insects, scratched up in coveys.

New World quail (Odontophoridae)Northern BobwhiteColinus virginianus

Spring and summer diet

  • Beetles, grasshoppers and legume seeds

Fall and winter diet

  • Ragweed, pine and crop seeds

Best feeder foods

  • Millet
  • Cracked corn

Coveys visit ground feeding areas near brushy cover; hedgerows and brush piles are the real attraction.

Which feeder works best for bobwhites →

Where bobwhites need winter food

Regions where bobwhites are present in the cold months:

AlabamaArkansasDelawareFloridaGeorgiaIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMarylandMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriNebraskaNew JerseyNorth CarolinaOhioOklahomaPennsylvaniaSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasVirginiaWest VirginiaWisconsin

Frequently asked

What do bobwhites eat?

Seeds, green leaves and insects, scratched up in coveys.

What is the best food to feed bobwhites?

Millet, Cracked corn.

What do bobwhites eat in winter?

Ragweed, pine and crop seeds.

Sources

  1. Northern Bobwhite — All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  2. Northern Bobwhite life history — Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  3. Northern Bobwhite — Audubon Guide to North American Birds

Timing reflects typical patterns for the region as a whole; local dates vary with elevation and year. Check the linked eBird bar charts for your county.