Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus virginianus)

Image of Northern Bobwhite nest.
Part of the quail family

The Northern Bobwhite is a small quail species found year-round in Illinois. The Bobwhite creates its nest hidden amongst plant growth on the ground. Listen for its distinctive call (bob-white!). This nest and eggs were collected in 1925 from Sublette in Lee County, Illinois, and the collector wrote, "The eggs could be seen lying in it. I hunted two weeks before I found it."