Determine the habitat usage and management requirements of northern bobwhite quail on cedar swamp wildlife area

The U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service awarded the State of Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) a Formula Grant totaling $547,200 under the Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education and Safety program (CFDA 15.611) for the period of July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2029. The award funds a research project to investigate habitat usage, dispersal, and survival patterns of Northern Bobwhite Quail on the Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area through telemetry data collection from wild quail populations.

In collaboration with a subrecipient award to the University of Delaware, the project will identify critical habitats essential to quail survival and develop corresponding wildlife management plans. The research findings and management recommendations will provide direct benefits to public and private land managers seeking to restore wild quail populations and to the general public engaged in quail observation, appreciation, and hunting activities. The University of Delaware will provide graduate research assistant support and conduct the primary investigation under this four-year initiative.

Activities to be performed include collecting telemetry data from wild quail to investigate habitat usage and dispersal and survival. Expected outcomes include determining which habitats are most critical to quail survival so that proper management plans can be developed and implemented. Intended beneficiaries are public and private land managers wishing to restore wild quail populations as well as the general public who enjoy hearing and viewing and hunting quail. Subrecipient activities include an award to the university of delaware who will be providing a graduate research assistant and conducting this investigation.