bobwhite

American  

[bob-hwahyt, -wahyt] / ˈbɒbˈʰwaɪt, -ˈwaɪt /

noun

• bobwhites,
  plural
• bobwhite
  plural

1. any of several true quails of the genus Colinus, family Odontophoridae, including C. virginianus northern bobwhite, distributed through much of the Americas, having mottled reddish-brown, black, and white plumage: the bobwhite gets its name from its whistling call, which sweeps upward in pitch as an easily discernible “bob-white.”

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bobwhite British  

/ ˈbɒbˌwaɪt /

noun

1. a brown North American quail, Colinus virginianus , the male of which has white markings on the head: a popular game bird

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bobwhite
  plural
• bobwhites
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bobwhite

An Americanism dating back to 1805–15; imitative of its call

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bobwhite bobwhites

The system’s greenery still harbors the bobwhite quail and other declining species.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 14, 2023

Northern bobwhite quail, which are roughly the size of a softball, have short legs, short wings and don’t fly much.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 7, 2023

Every day, during the spring, summer and fall, I used to hear the clear, ringing whistle of bobwhite quail.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 25, 2019

We know a 20-something outdoorsman who, only a year or so ago, took a picture of a bobwhite quail in the wild, and passed it around the camp, asking what the darn thing was.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 24, 2018

Some of the most upsetting news for southern sportsmen concerned the bobwhite quail.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Grassland birds have declined by 53% since 1970—a loss of 700 million adults in the 31 species studied, including meadowlarks and northern bobwhites.

From Science Magazine ● Sep. 19, 2019

But at the same time, farming practices and residential development replaced habitat where bobwhites once thrived.

From Washington Times ● Mar. 22, 2015

It’s not just bobwhites that lost habitat, Cecil said.

From Washington Times ● Mar. 22, 2015

To keep the tradition going, Webb and Allen have worked relentlessly to bring bobwhites back to The Webb Farm in Ellerbe, N.C.

From Time Magazine Archive

Two bobwhites scooted across the tracks right in front of us, heads up and backs straight as tin soldiers’, but they flushed before T.R. could point.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns