This is Bird Note.

Throughout winter, northern Bobwhites gather in groups called covies

to search for food during the day and share warmth at night.

These small quail arranged themselves in a circle,

with their tails in the center and heads outward,

huddled up like a wreath of plump birds to survive frost and snow.

But as spring arrives, the covey's disband, and Bob White seek out mates.

Males whistle from shrubs and tufts of grass, hoping to catch the attention of a female.

A Bob White pair's first brood of young can come surprisingly early in the year, in April or May.

The chicks hatch nearly ready to take care of themselves, but they need some help finding good

places for food. For two weeks, the parents lead as many as 28 chicks around,

scratching in bare ground and leaf litter for insects and other arthropods to eat. Bob whites are

themselves hunted by many other species, so they produce many offspring each year.

A pair may have two or three broods of young,

and each brood can contain over two dozen eggs.

Once winter returns, the Bob whites again join tight-knit covies of around ten birds,

preparing to brave the winter.

For Bird Note, I'm Michael Stein.