Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus virginianus)
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."