Connemara & Texas Discovery Gardens Bobwhite Quail Partnership

Connemara & Texas Discovery Gardens Bobwhite Quail Partnership

The distinctive call of the Northern Bobwhite quail is once again echoing across the grasslands of North Texas, thanks to several organizations working together to restore these treasured birds.  One unique partnership is  between the Connemara Conservancy and Texas Discovery Gardens. This collaborative effort is a testament to what’s possible when conservation organizations work together to restore local wildlife populations.

The journey began at Texas Discovery Gardens, an 8-acre urban oasis located in Dallas’s Fair Park. To help with natural pest control, the gardens introduced several bobwhites into their native habitat butterfly house. These ground-nesting birds proved to be a perfect fit, effectively managing insect populations while also thriving in their new environment.

Last year, the Connemara Conservancy provided bobwhites to the gardens. These birds not only did their job of keeping unwanted insects in check, they also successfully reproduced. This led to a new and exciting development: some of the offspring were brought back to the Connemara Meadow Nature Preserve.

Despite the significant challenges of record flooding and extreme heat this past year, the bobwhites have continued to make the Connemara Meadow their home. This remarkable resilience gives us hope for the future of the species in North Texas.

When you walk through the meadow, listen for the characteristic “bob-Wight” call that gives the bird its name. If you are lucky, you may even get a glimpse of these elusive birds.

The success of this program relies on all of us. When you visit the meadow, please help protect the bobwhites and their nests by keeping your dogs on a leash. By working together, we can continue to bring back the Bobwhites to North Texas.

Photography by Celeste Walz