Masked Bobwhite Quail - adult male photographed in the wild - not a captive specimen
Image details
Contributor:
Tom Reichner / Alamy Stock PhotoImage ID:
2FMPD0FFile size:
71.1 MB (2.5 MB Compressed download)Releases:
Model - no | Property - noDo I need a release?Dimensions:
6104 x 4069 px | 51.7 x 34.5 cm | 20.3 x 13.6 inches | 300dpiDate taken:
11 April 2021Location:
Buenos Aries National Wildlife Refuge in the Sonoran Desert of Southern Arizona in the United StatesMore information:
Masked Bobwhites are extremely rare, and even thought to be extinct for decades, until a small colony of them was discovered in Sonora, Mexico. The US worked with Mexico to allow the small population to be captured and bred in captivity. For two decades, the species struggled along in the captive breeding program, while the US Department of Wildlife restored the habitat on the Buenos Aries National Wildlife Refuge. A few years ago, some Masked Bobwhites were released into the wild, and for the first time the non-captive birds are having some success surviving and reproducing. Wild, free Masked Bobwhites are still one of the rarest birds in North America. Along with the California Condor, they represent some of the greatest conservation success stories in our continent's history!